Smash Mind: New World
by Ultiman92
Summary: It happens in an instant. The barrier between worlds is breached, and six Smashers find themselves on an unfamiliar planet. Aided by new allies and opposed by mysterious enemies, the Smashers must try to survive in a wondrous but dangerous place...Earth.
1. Prologue

U92: Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting installment in the Smash Mind series! This one is different from previous installments in that it has not one, but TWO authors! That's right, I'm being assisted on this fic by the talented Sueslayer2, author of Unity! Speaking of which, we strongly reccomend that you **read Unity before this story**. This is a direct sequel, and you might not understand key plot points if you haven't read Unity beforehand. Sue2 is currently rewriting Unity, and posting the revised chapters as she goes. The entire story should be back pretty soon.

If you have read Unity, sit back and enjoy the ride! Sue2, take it away!

Sue2: Hey everybody! I didn't write this prologue, (the credit for its awesomeness all goes to Ultiman) but I'm proud to be co-author of this story, and I promise to make a more useful contribution next chapter! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did! (My jaw dropped and I loudly proclaimed to everyone in the vicinity how epic it was and also sent Ultiman an email full of CAPITAL LETTERS telling him how cool it was!)

On with the fic!

* * *

-Prologue-

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The man's footsteps were careful and measured, moving at a steady pace. He showed no sign of breaking his stride, confidently walking down the corridor.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The man wore an intricate suit of full-body black armor, complete with a matching helmet that obscured the top half of his face. A single stripe ran up both sides, multicolored in nature and changing hues constantly. He thought nothing of his odd attire; he had not had such thoughts for years. After wearing it for so long, the armor felt like a second skin, an extension of himself. He felt comfortable inside its confines, relishing both the protection it offered and the imposing appearance it gave to observers. One could be anything inside this armor.

The man came to a stop at a sealed doorway, regarding the two men guarding either side. Both were attired in similar sets of armor, one with an orange-red-stripe on its sides and the other with a beige-stripe.

Orange-red-stripe was reclining against the wall in a casual pose, his head on his chest. From the soft snuffles that could be heard, he appeared to be asleep. In contrast, Beige-stripe was standing stiffly at attention, his arms crossed over his chest. A slight turn of his helmet was the only indication that he had noticed the man's appearance.

The man surveyed both of them for a minute, then loudly cleared his throat.

Orange-red-stripe yawned loudly, stretching his arms out in front of him. Straightening up into a fully standing position, he finally noticed the man in front of him. "Oh, hey, boss. You comin' to relieve us?"

"In a sense, yes," the man replied, speaking in a flat, cold voice. "I wish to use the gate. You and The Heirophant are allowed a short rest period."

Orange-red-stripe's mouth curved into a grin. "Excellent. Thanks, boss."

He began to leisurely stroll down the corridor, slowing his pace slightly to let Beige-stripe fall into step beside him. As the man entered in the access code for the door, he inadvertently overheard Orange-red-stripe trying to engage Beige-stripe in conversation.

"So..how's it going?" Silence. "Anything new with you?" Silence. "How was your last mission?" Silence."Oh c'mon, this is ridiculous! You're my co-worker, for Rajin's sake! How do you expect me to get along with you when you won't talk at all?" Silence. "You can't keep this up forever, y'know." Silence. "I mean it. I'm getting you to talk before we take Melodia." A low chuckle. "Oh, you think that's funny, you little parsal? Just you wait. When The Chariot makes a promise, he keeps it."

The man allowed himself a humorless smile. He doubted Orange-red-stripe would have much success. Even he couldn't get Beige-stripe to talk. And he'd been trying for five years.

The door hissed open. The man stepped over the threshold, activating a panel on the inside of the wall. With an electric whirr, the lights flickered on.

An enormous machine greeted him, dominating the entire room with its presence. The top consisted of a thin steel half-circle, with the bend in the loop attached to a large generator resting on the floor. Wires and cables streamed from the generator like a nest of snakes, their ends embedded in various parts of the walls.

The man walked up to a console on the right side of the generation. He typed in a series of commands, and pressed ENTER.

Several things happened at once.

The machine turned on, humming intensely as it warmed up. It began to vibrate, raw power coursing through its circuits. The lights in the room flickered, affected by the massive energy drain from the machine. A large white sphere slowly grew from inside the half-circle, shimmering from the waves of energy drifting along its outer layer. A ramp extended from the top of the generator to the floor.

Making his way up the ramp, the man stopped at the very edge of the pulsating sphere. He squinted, peering into its depths. "No…no…no…where is it?" he murmured angrily to himself. "It should be here by now! Computer!" he declared loudly. "Focus the gate on any small, dense pocket dimensions that have appeared in the last several months!"

"_Acknowledged,"_ an emotionless feminine voice issued from a speaker. Almost immediately, the view inside the sphere began to change. Little bubbles could be seen drifting along, each one containing an image inside.

One dark bubble passed by. "There!" the man yelled. "Focus in and establish contact!"

The bubble seemed to stop abruptly, then swerve and drift right at the gate. The image inside the bubble grew bigger and bigger until it filled the entire sphere.

The man smiled. He'd found who he was looking for.

"_**Ah, you've discovered me,"**_ a loud, echoing voice intoned from inside the sphere. _"__**I was wondering how long it would take you."**_

"I had to see it for myself," the man replied, unable to keep the satisfied grin from his face. "I must admit, I was skeptical when I first heard the news, but now I know for certain. They did it. You're back."

"_**You had doubts?"**_ the voice said, sounding incredulous. _**"Don't you know I plan for **_**every **_**possibility?"**_

The man nodded. "I know that now. We will not underestimate you again."

The voice laughed. _**"Still so foolish. You think you can destroy me? I am immortal. The efforts of you and all your companions are in vain."**_

"You have said that before," the man challenged. "Then we defeated you. If we can do so once, we can do so again."

"_**Ah, but you're not exactly at full strength now, **_**are**_** you?"**_ the voice taunted. _**"You seem to be down one member, if I recall correctly."**_

The man scowled. "How did you know about that?"

"_**From here, I can see all that occurs in the Center Worlds,"**_ the voice stated with an air of repetition. _**"I saw what happened. Judgment is dead."**_

"An unfortunate incident with the Smashers on Literois," the man growled, his fists clenching involuntarily. "A regrettable loss, but avoidable. We will make sure to take more precautions in the future."

"_**That is your official statement on the matter, of course,"**_ the voice said tantalizingly, _**"but I know your real response is much different. The Smashers actually managed to kill a member of your little organization. They are no longer the minor threat you thought them to be. You don't know how to react."**_

"We will keep an eye on them in the future," the man declared. "For now, they are of little concern to us."

" '_**For now', "**_ the voice echoed mockingly. _**"I would watch myself if I were you. The Smashers are not to be underestimated."**_

The man snorted. "You think I do not see what you are trying to do? If you can get us paranoid enough about the Smashers, we will concentrate on them instead of you and allow you to execute your plans unopposed. It will not work. We are a step ahead of you."

"_**Really?"**_ the voice inquired. _**"How, pray tell?"**_

"We already know what your plan is," the man said, a note of smug satisfaction in his voice. "We have the proof. Two of the Center Worlds independently creating their own world gate at the exact same time? That is not coincidence. This reeks of your influence."

"_**You are sharper than I have given you credit for,"**_ the voice said, unable to keep from sounding surprised. _**"And what will you do with this knowledge?"**_

"Nothing," the main said simply. "Although they are no threat to us, the Smashers are more than capable of stopping you. I have decided not to get involved. We will merely watch, and wait for the right moment to act."

"_**Which moment would that be?"**_ the voice asked, sounding mildly curious.

The man grinned. "I think you know that already."

"_**Always obsessed with my destruction, aren't you?"**_ the voice chuckled. _**"That moment will not come. There is not a being alive that can kill me. The Smashers will fail in their mission…but not before I meet them face to face."**_

"Interesting. Very interesting," the man noted. "Well, I'm afraid I must cut our little conversation short. I need to use the gate for an urgent matter."

"_**An 'urgent matter', is it?"**_ the voice mused. _**"Does it have anything to do with me, perchance?"**_

The man pursed his lips, smiling thinly. "It has everything to do with you. I am heading to the Center World where your plan shall unfold. I desire a close view of the events to come."

"_**I see," **_the voice replied. _**"In that case, I must say my farewells. A pity we could not talk longer. The next time we speak may be under vastly different circumstances."**_

"Too right," the man agreed. "You will be at the point of my sword, begging me for mercy."

The voice laughed again. _**"We shall see. Goodbye, Abraxas."**_

The image before him vanished, to be replaced by the stream of bubbles.

The man remained where he was for a moment longer, staring into the depths of the sphere.

"Computer," he intoned at last, "set up transportation for one magical humanoid, traveling with a suit of armor and a broadsword. Destination is the third Center World from this one, named…" The man trailed off, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. _What was the name of that backwater little planet again?_

It came to him in a flash. The man turned back towards the sphere. "Computer, set the destination for Earth."

The stream of bubbles disappeared. For a moment, the sphere was completely blank.

After several minutes of intense humming by the gate, a new image appeared inside the sphere. After examining the image for a moment, the man strode inside the sphere, allowing the powerful energies to swallow him whole.

The sphere enlarged for a moment, humming as it dispersed its passenger, than shrank down to nothing. The machine automatically powered down, entering its recharging phase.

With a final hiss, the door to the room slid shut, locking firmly in place.

* * *

Ultiman92

and

Sueslayer2

present

-Smash Mind: New World-

* * *

U92: Just like a movie, eh? So what did you think?

I'm sure by now you've all got tons of questions. Don't worry, the answers will come...eventually. (evil grin)

Sue2: A new world has begun! Who is this man in the armour with the rainbow stripe? Who was he talking to? Who... or WHAT was supposed to die but didn't? WILL BEIGE-STRIPE EVER TALK? I know the answer to the first three, but I won't tell. :P And the fourth? That's a mystery we won't know until... well, ever maybe.

I say once more, I am proud to be able to chip in my two cents when I can. See you next chapter!

REVIEW!


	2. Worlds Collide

U92: If last chapter's unfamiliarity confused you, have no fear! The story officially starts in this chapter, as we reunite with the Smashers. We even get to see a little bit of Earth as well.

This is the part when the co-authorship begins. In this chapter, Sue2 wrote the sections on the Smash World, while I did the sections set on Earth. From now on, we'll inform you who wrote what at the start of each chapter so you don't get confused.

Hope you enjoy Chapter 1!

Sue2: Hello! I would like to put in that we don't own the smashers. Also I hope you enjoy this... It only becomes more fun as it goes along. (Personally, I am having a blast.)

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter One-

_Worlds Collide_

* * *

-World: Smash World-

Link and Zelda danced. The newlyweds had eyes only for each other. Marth played song after song for them on the piano. Everyone else chatted, danced if they felt like it, and ate from the array of food on the table. Peach, looking elegant in a pale silk dress, turned to Samus.

"So," said Peach. "What have you three been up to? I haven't seen you or ROB in days, and when Nana is around to ask, she just grins and tells me it's classified." Nana, who was busily devouring a cupcake nearby, giggled.

Samus smiled. "We've been working on a way to travel instantly to any of the pocket dimensions surrounding this world. A teleporter. Like what a Great Fairy can do, but without the magic. That way, we could travel to any one of the sub-worlds without having to use the doors or the keys. And maybe there are other worlds around here too, places we could explore."

"Hey, that's cool," Peach said. "How far have you got?"

"Well," said Samus, "so far, we've been able to conjure an image of the sub-worlds. We can even communicate with the people there. We can't, unfortunately, pass through yet, because there's too much electricity. We'd be fried. But as soon as we figure out how to block the electricity, we'll be able to do some more concrete tests."

Peach put her head to the side. "As in?"

Samus smiled. "As in throwing something small and sturdy, rubber or metal, at it and having someone there to see if it comes out the other side. If it does, we'll see if it's damaged in any way. If it isn't, we'll try a plant. If that still grows fine with no minute changes, then we'll put something else through, perhaps a small animal. Then we try an ordinary, non-magical human. Probably me. In the end, we'll have it so that anyone can go through and end up instantly where they want to be."

"Neat," Peach said. "I'd love to see that."

"You know," put in Ike, "I'd like to see what you've been up to, myself. How about you give a demonstration?"

Samus nodded. "Maybe," she said. "At the moment it's stable, so long as you don't touch the portal. And if we refrain from making any alterations until afterwards. . . . What do you think, ROB?" She looked over at the robot who was standing at the edge of the party.

**"A demonstration of the function of the inter-dimensional portal is feasible," **ROB said.

"Awesome!" Nana chipped in.

"How about later tonight?" Peach asked. "After all, tomorrow people are going to start leaving."

"Sounds fine," Samus said. She looked at ROB, who nodded.

"Alright," Ike said, smiling. "Tonight it is. For now, would you like to dance? I'm afraid the music's going to end any minute, when Marth's fingers fall off." Ike's smile turned into a grin when that got the laugh he'd been looking for.

That evening, a larger group than normal was in Samus' lab. Not that it was even close to full. ROB and Samus' lab was a room that was big enough to be an aeroplane hanger. Metal and small machines lined the walls. In the centre, a modest archway stood. It, too, was made of metal and had several purplish crystals embedded in the sides.

ROB stood at the main computer near the wall of the lab. He hooked himself up to it. The lights that were his eyes flickered out. **"Ready,"** he said.

Samus nodded and took her place at the smaller control pad on the portal itself. "Nana," she said. "Would you mind pushing the button in the control room?"

"The big red one?" Nana grinned.

Samus laughed. "No, not the big red one. Why does everyone always want to push that? What is it about a big red button that draws everyone to push it? Once we get the problems in this sorted out, we should research _that_. No, for us, the red button is just Reserve Power activation. Push the little green one to the left of the big red button."

"Got it," said Nana. She ran into a small, box-like room in the corner of the lab.

The portal powered up. Electricity sparked at the edges and gave everything inside it a yellowish cast. Inside, there was a small map, one that looked vaguely familiar. Even brighter yellow flickered at the edge of it.

"Okay, ROB. Let's take it to Jin and Takimi's world."

-World: Earth-

The Los Angeles branch of the Petrelli Institute of Science and Technology was not the busiest of places even on its most populated days. A haven for budding young scientists eager to explore the world, the place was often quiet as a whisper. Crucial physics experiments did require absolute concentration, after all.

As a result, many scientists looked up irritably when a white-haired man bellowing at the top of his lungs ran past their rooms, followed by a teenage boy carrying a large stack of papers.

"Hurry, hurry, for God's sake!" the man shouted impatiently, anxiously checking his watch. "The demonstration starts in five minutes, and our friends do not like to be kept waiting! I have waited five years for this moment, and I went everything to go perfectly! Do you have the documentation, um…what was your name again?"

"Steve, sir," the teen replied, readjusting the papers in his hands. "Steve Gould."

"Right, Steve, yes," the man said absentmindedly. "Do you have the documentation on the properties of the gate?"

"Yes, sir," Steve replied patiently. "You've already asked me three times."

"Sorry, it's just I'm rather nervous, you see," the man explained, rounding a corner. "I mean, the government! Coming **here**! To view _my_ work! I still can't believe it!"

With one free hand, Steve awkwardly reached over and tugged on the man's sleeve. "We're here, sir."

The man slowed, noticing the sign that read _Wolpaw Testing Facility_. "Oh, thank you, Steve," he said, pushing open the huge double doors. "I don't know what I'd do without your help. Shame the suits upstairs won't allow any more internships, but I suppose that's to be expected after what happened to the last two…"

He trailed off, noticing the large group of men in business suits expectantly staring at them. One of them cleared his throat. "You're late, Dr. Devlin."

The man smiled nervously, mopping his face with a handkerchief. "Forgive me. Traffic was terrible."

He briskly strode across the room to a large machine covered by a dust cloth. Steve followed behind him, closing the door with his foot. He gingerly set down the stack of papers he was carrying, shooting an apologetic grin to the waiting men.

Devlin pulled off the dust cloth with a flourish, revealing the machine underneath. It was a wide steel archway in a shape that was somewhere between a rectangle and a circle, attached to a metal generator. Steve was scurrying around the base, plugging in wires and cables.

Devlin walked back up to the expectant men, grabbing a sheet of paper off the stack Steve had brought in. After glancing at it briefly, he launched into his speech. "Now, as you already know, what you see before you is no simple archway. This is a carefully created piece of equipment, designed to bend the laws of physics and revolutionize the world.

"Dark matter. What is it, really?" Devlin questioned. "Scientists have only recently discovered this fascinating material. It appears to exist on the very edges of reality, filling the gap between this universe and others. Beyond that, we know almost nothing about it. Dark matter, in my opinion, is a golden opportunity for science, a vast resource with untapped potential. This gate," Devlin indicated the archway behind him, "is designed to reach into the gaps between universes and bring dark matter back with it. If we can study some of it, understand its properties, the possibilities are limitless! We could develop weapons, energy sources, even medicine!"

One of the government officials raised his hand. "Mr. Devlin, do you have any comment to make on the accident that occurred while this 'gate' was in development? Is this machine potentially dangerous?"

"T-that accident was an isolated incident!" Devlin protested. "We have since corrected the issue in question. I assure you, there is nothing to fear."

"Very well," the man said, looking unconvinced. "What exactly do you have planned for this…demonstration?"

Devlin's eyes gleamed. "I am going to attempt to bring a piece of dark matter through the gate, into this very room."

There was a unanimous sharp intake of breath. Several of the men turned to one another, conversing in anxious, clipped mutterings. "Dr. Devlin," one of them protested, "is this experiment not incredibly risky? As you have said, we know very little about dark matter. What if something goes wrong?"

Devlin laughed. "No need to worry. I am only going to be extracting a small amount for this test. Once we have successfully completed more tests, we will increase the scope of the beam."

"The machine is prepared, Dr, Devlin!" Steve called over, standing at a console on the gate.

"Excellent!" Devlin declared, turning to give Steve an appreciative smile. "Activate the machine!" He swiveled back around. "Prepare yourselves, gentlemen, for something no human has ever before laid eyes upon!"

Devlin took a seat near the officials, eyes bright with anticipation.

Steve flicked several switches, then hurriedly jogged over to Devlin's side. The machine slowly hummed to life, a purple sheet of energy covering the archway. Beyond it, a glowing tube could be seen extending into the void.

-World: Smash World-

**"Sensing program anomaly," **ROB said. **"There is a second signal."**

"Wait, what?" Samus looked over at ROB. "Another signal? Someone else is working on the same frequency as we are?"

**"That is unknown," **ROB said. **"Signals will collide and join in 3... 2... 1..."**

Suddenly, a purple tube-like thing that seemed to be made of light appeared in the screen. It connected with the yellow tubing cast by Samus' portal. They were given the impression of speeding forwards.

-World: Earth-

A klaxon blared, startling the men out of their seats. Devlin was on his feet in an instant. "Steve!" he cried out. "What's going on!"

Steve bounded up to the console, frantically scanning the screen. "I-I don't know, sir!" he said anxiously, his fingers a blur on the keypad. "The gate has met – resistance of some kind. It's like there's an identical signal tangled up with ours, and it's pulling the other way!"

"_Another signal_?" Devlin said disbelievingly. "Impossible!"

"Devlin!" one of the government officials shouted. "What's happening?" A few of the men were slowly backing towards the door.

"The signals are merging!" Steve called out. "They're forming – something, the computer doesn't know what!" He ran over to the archway, peering inside. "It looks like – some sort of tunnel! I'm starting to see an image of – _oh my GOD!"_ Steve jumped away from the archway as if burned, trembling uncontrollably.

"Steve, what is it?" Devlin yelled, visibly alarmed by Steve's sudden change in manner. "What's wrong?"

Steve pointed towards the archway with a shaking hand. "_It's people!"_ he shrieked. _"There are people inside there!"_

-World: Smash World-

"Hey, look!" Peach shouted, moving towards the portal. "I can see somebody! A face!"

"Peach, don't-" Samus was interrupted by Peach's scream, as she flew forwards.

Before she could reach the portal, Mario was in her way, pushing her back. Not so wise an action, as it put him in the way of the fierce gravity himself.

"Idiot!" Bowser said. He grabbed onto Peach's arm, yanked her out of the field of pull. Then he reached for Mario.

Mario was just within Samus' reach. She could hold onto the console, grab him, and pull him out of the way. Neither would be caught in the gravity of the portal. She reached...

Zelda threw a shield of magic at them, strung it across the portal. She held her hands out, closed her eyes. "Link..." she hissed."I can't hold this here for long. Go get them, quickly!"

Link ran forward, grabbed the back of Samus' suit. He started to pull her out of the way.

Zelda screamed, "Get out of the way!" as her magic began to dissolve. Her red power jewel, Din's Fire, fell to the ground and rolled towards the portal too.

"Mine!" A familiar fat man in yellow raced across the floor, snatching up the gem. Wario was drawn into the relentless pull as well.

Pikachu ran forwards as the group struggled. They'd be fried if they touched the electricity! Only one thing he could do. He closed his eyes and discharged all of his electricity. If a Pikachu lacks electricity, more will be automatically drawn in by its power.

The electricity from the portal flowed towards Pikachu. Ganondorf dodged the lightning bolt, and it struck the tiny animal.

No one heard Pikachu cry out. They all watched in horror as Mario, Link, Bowser and Ganondorf were flung into the portal. Samus clung to the side, holding on desperately.

**"Nana. Cease power immediately." **ROB's amplified voice boomed over the noise.

"Right!" Nana's hand slammed down on the small green button, clipping the one next to it. The big red one.

"The big red button." Samus sighed. "Reserve Power activation." Then she, too disappeared.

The power stopped. Those who remained stared at the empty portal.

Zelda found her voice first. "Link..."

-World: Earth-

Mario, Link, Samus, Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario all flew through the archway and sprawled on the floor. All eyes were on the six newcomers as they struggled to their feet, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Not a single person moved or breathed, in total awe of the beings before them.

"What?…" Samus mumbled incoherently, putting a hand to her face. "Where are we?"

One of the government officials was the first to react, drawing a handgun from a holster in his side. "Freeze!" he barked. "Do not move!" Several of the other officials followed suit, drawing their own guns and training them on the Smashers.

Link swallowed. "This is not good."

* * *

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."  
-Bill Watterson

* * *

U92: I'll be putting a fitting quote at the end of every chapter, a la _Watchmen_. It'll serve as a nice little metaphor for each chapter.

Yes, I am aware I got the science concerning dark matter horribly, horribly wrong. I needed a semi-plausible reason for a gate being created on Earth.

I snuck several references concerning teleportation in science fiction into my sections. Can you find them all? (Hint: focus on specific names.)

Sue2: Poor scientist guy. I'd say he's getting in trouble. And Steve's probably going to need therapy. Also, poor Zelda and Link! They never got their honeymoon or even their wedding night together! :'(

REVIEW!


	3. Escape

U92: Boy, we're just churning these out, aren't we? Unfortunately, nobody seems to be reading. A few of our regular reviewers are back, but that's about it. Make your voice heard! Review!

If you need to express your thoughts in more than just a simple review, check out Smash Mind: The Official Forum. Whether you're a long time fan or a newcomer to the series, it's the best place you'll find to chat about all things Smash Mind. Who knows, you might even end up influencing the story...

Sue2: Hey everyone! We're back! So... the Smashers are standing there with a bunch of guns pointed at them. What's going to happen? Who knows! :D Read on to find out!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Two-

_Escape_

* * *

"Do not move!" one of the agents barked. "Do you hear me? _Do…not…move! _Hands in the air, all of you!"

Slowly, confusedly, the Smashers raised their arms. Ganondorf looked irritated by the order, while Wario seemed on the verge of a bout of nervous laughter. Bowser raised his hands as high as he could, flexing his claws ominously.

Devlin was flat against the wall, staring at the Smashers with a horrified fascination. Steve was clutching the table for support, looking like he was either going to faint or throw up.

Samus cleared her throat. "Okay," she said carefully, "there's no need to panic. We are not hostile. We have no intention of becoming hostile. So there's no need to be pointing guns at us."

Link and Wario nodded enthusiastically. Ganondorf rolled his eyes, sighing. Mario remained motionless, chin set.

"Well, then," the agent challenged, not lowering his gun, "if you're not dangerous, then you won't mind coming with us."

"Excuse-a me?" Mario said disbelievingly. "We just-a want to go home! Why should-a we come with you?"

"For security reasons, obviously," the agent replied. The other agents nodded in agreement. "We need the first official meeting with extraterrestrials to be on our own terms. The United States government is hardly prepared for an alien invasion. You understand, of course."

"Uh…yes," Link said confusedly. "I suppose there's no harm in it. We can accompany you, right, everyone?" Link looked pointedly at the other Smashers.

Mario and Samus immediately voiced their agreement. Bowser snorted angrily, shuffling behind the others. Ganondorf and Wario looked away, scowling.

Link turned back to the agents, smiling desperately. "They all agree."

"Excellent," the agent said, holstering his gun. The agents behind him did the same, showing signs of relief. "Now, for our conditions."

"Oh fer cryin' out loud!" Wario exclaimed furiously. "We _said _we're comin' wiv you, what else do you mooks want?"

Mario elbowed him in the side. "They-a could kill us at any-a moment," he stage-whispered out of the side of his mouth. "We should-a cooperate with them."

Wario folded his arms, muttering mutinously.

The agent went on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "One: you will come with us peacefully and unarmed. Two: you will each swear an oath promising against invasion or attacks of any kind by your race. Three: you will explain in detail to our scientists as to exactly what you are and where you come from. Four: you will allow us to make a statement about you to the general public."

_Spirits above, this man is even more long-winded than I,_ Ganondorf thought to himself, shaking his head ruefully.

"Five: you will restrain that animal of yours. He looks too wild to be let outside unsupervised," the agent continued, pointing at Bowser.

Bowser's eyes widened. "ANIMAL?!?" he snarled, taking a step forward. The agents shrunk away from him, cowering in fear.

"_I'll show you an animal!"_ Bowser roared, his nostrils flaring and claws curling into fists.

"Bowser, no!" Mario cried, frantically tugging on the incensed Koopa's arm to no avail. Bowser continued his furious march towards the terrified agents, smoke beginning to stream from his nostrils.

With shaking hands, one of the agents drew his gun. He put Bowser in his sights, squeezing off three shots.

In a move surprising for his enormous size, Bowser quickly spun around, allowing the bullets to bounce off his armored shell. He turned back around, shooting the trembling agent with a contemptuous look. "Is that the best you could do? This world is pathetic!"

With no warning, Bowser blew several fireballs at the agent. The man was instantly engulfed in flames, screaming. He fell to the floor, writhing in agony.

The agents all immediately drew their guns, opening fire upon the stunned Smashers. Ganondorf and Link pushed the others out of the way before ducking themselves. The bullets passed over their heads, smashing into the gate. The archway began to spark and fizzle, while the energy inside it disappeared.

"My gate!" howled Devlin, looking appalled. "Look what you've done!"

From his position on the floor, Ganondorf sent a burst of magic at the hastily reloading agents. The unsuspecting men were hurled off their feet, slamming into the far wall. They slid into a heap on the floor, motionless save for a few moans of pain.

Link slowly got to his feet, staring transfixed at the fallen agents. "Ganondorf…" he choked out, whipping his head around to stare accusingly at the other man. "You didn't have to do that!"

"I did just save your life, Hylian," Ganondorf growled. "You should be a little more grateful. Besides, did it seem that they would have shown us any mercy after Bowser's outburst? Not that I blame him, of course," he added, shooting a look at the still smoldering Koopa. "Calling him an animal. Quite an insult. I think he took it quite well, considering."

" 'Scuse me," Wario cut in, looking around nervously. "but can we get a move on before dose guys over dere wake up? Somthin' tells me dey won't be too negotiable."

"I hate to admit it, but he's right," Samus sighed. "In their eyes, we're now hostile extraterrestrials. We need to fall back and regroup before more of them show up."

Everyone nodded in agreement. The Smashers turned and ran out the door.

Link stopped halfway out of the room, turning to look back at the now smoking archway. "Uh…sorry about your gate," he said awkwardly to the irate Devlin. "We didn't mean to destroy it."

Then he turned and ran.

Steve fainted, knocking over the table. Papers of all shapes and sizes fluttered down over his prone form.

Devlin took no notice, having eyes only for his ruined archway. "My gate…" he said numbly. "Those…those _things_ ruined my gate! Five years of work, destroyed!"

His eyes narrowed. "I won't let them get away with this!"

Devlin crossed over to the back wall, moving in swift, jerky steps. With a shaking hand, he punched the intercom button. "Security," he mumbled fiercely, "this is Dr. Devlin. Intruders have broken in and sabotaged my work. They need to be apprehended! Subjects are armed and dangerous!"

* * *

The Smashers were running down a hallway when the alarm sounded. "Aw great," Wario panted, out of breath. "Now what?"

As if on cue, a team of ten security guards rounded the corner just ahead, leveling shotguns at them. "Freeze!" one of them ordered.

"Reverse!" Ganondorf yelled, abruptly turning and running back the way he came. The other Smashers followed suit, ducking and dodging to avoid the hail of bullets.

One of the security guards grimaced, feeling his cartridge click empty. "How are they so damn agile?" he asked of nobody in particular. "It's like they've been trained for this sort of thing!"

"I got a few shots on the huge lizard," another guard added, "but they didn't seem to slow him down any. I think those scales of his are armored."

With one final burst of speed, the Smashers turned a corner and were gone.

"Damnit!" the guard swore. "Head after them! Don't let them get away!" The rest of the guards nodded, charging down the hallway.

The guard snagged one of them as they passed by. "I need you to call the LAPD," he explained. "We're no real match for these guys. We need reinforcements _badly_. They might even need to send in a SWAT team. Got that?"

The other guard nodded, already pulling out his cell phone.

* * *

The Smashers halted at an intersection, the only options being adjacent hallways to the left and to the right.

"Which-a way do we take?" Mario puffed.

"Split up!" Link suggested.

The Smashers promptly divided in two, with Mario, Link, and Samus taking the left hallway while Bowser, Ganondorf and Wario took the right hallway.

The sound of the guards' feet drew closer.

* * *

"This way!" Link ducked into a room off of the hallway, pulling Samus and Mario in behind him. He closed the door.

"Get away from the window," Samus hissed, shoving Mario's shoulder. Mario bumped into Link, and the two went sprawling.

They heard a thump and a small crash. A woman in a lab coat was lying on the floor. Among small pieces of glass that must have been a beaker, a chemical was pooling, steaming slightly.

Link ran to the woman, putting two fingers to her throat to check her pulse. "She's just fainted," he said.

"Get her out of the way of that stuff," Samus said. "It looks dangerous." Link quickly picked up the unconscious woman and put her in a chair nearby. Noticing the steam coming off of her sleeve, he pulled off her lab coat and laid it on the table.

"They're-a coming," Mario said softly. The three crouched by the door of the lab, out of sight from the window.

The woman moaned, and her eyes opened. "Wha..."

"Are you alright?" Link asked gently. The woman took one look at them and panicked. Before she could scream, Samus had a hand over her mouth.

"Don't worry," Link continued in a steady voice. "We're not going to hurt you. However, there are men with guns out there who want to hurt _us_. So _please don't scream_."

The scientist nodded uncertainly, her eyes wide with fear. Samus removed her hand. "Wh-who are you?" the scientist stammered.

Link tried a friendly smile. "My name is Link. We just need to hide here for a while, until the angry men leave. May I ask your name?"

"Marie Irving," the scientist replied. She seemed slightly calmer.

"Dr. Irving," Samus said, "What chemical were you holding?"

"It was an acid mix," Marie said. Then she looked down. "Oh... it's all over the floor now."

Link gave a wry smile, more himself now that his heart was slowing down. "And your lab coat, I'm sorry."

"My coat?" She looked over at where her coat lay on the table. There was now a large hole where the acid mix had spilled. "If that had stayed on me for long, it wouldn't have ended well." She smiled at Link. "Thank you. You've saved me a trip to the hospital."

"It's no problem," Link said.

Someone hammered on the door. "Dr. Irving! Open up!" Marie looked around, picked up an empty beaker, and threw it to the ground.

"Now look what you've done!" she screeched. "Morons! The fumes from this will be poisonous in minutes!" She put a finger to her lips, then ran out the door. "Go! Get me a neutralizer, you bumbling idiots!"

Now the voices sounded scared. "Where do we find a neutralizer?"

"They're down the hallway! It looks like a fire extinguisher, but green!" the three Smashers crouched in the room, heard feet running.

A moment later, Marie entered again. "That should keep them busy long enough for you to get out of here. Go!"

"Thank you," Link said.

Marie smiled. "I've always hated those men. Constantly running around and ruining my experiments. No respect." She pointed down the corridor. "They went that way, so you should go the other way. There's a staircase down the hall and a fire exit on the first floor. This is floor 5. When you find the door, pull the red alarm next to it. That should make enough chaos for you to escape." She paused. "Why do they want you, anyway?"

Mario and Samus were already running. Link turned slightly.

"Because we were there," he called back.

"Hurry up!" Samus hissed, throwing open the door to the staircases, as a cry of 'There they are! Get them!' rang through the halls.

"Follow me-a," Mario whispered. He put a hand on the wide rail and jumped up. Link and Samus copied him and they swiftly slid past levels of stairs.

"5... 4... 3... 2... jump!" Samus said, and the three jumped off of the stair rail. "Out here!"

Mario threw open the door and ran out. Samus paused to pull the red fire alarm next to it, and a wail sounded through the building.

The three raced out into a lot full of cars.

"Behind here!" Samus called. "A fire alarm tells everyone to get out of the building. We have to escape before they see us!" She ran behind a huge truck. The back was open.

"Let's-a hide," Mario said, jumping up into the truck. He ducked behind a crate.

Link paused for a moment. "Somebody's screaming," he said.

Samus yanked him by the sleeve, up into the truck. "Get in here! Whoever's screaming, you'll only get yourself and probably them killed by trying to help. If those men find you, they'll shoot you on sight. And not even the Master Sword can stop a bullet." Samus settled down in the shadows at the back of the cargo. She sat down and leaned her head back against the wall, putting her helmet in her lap.

Link moved behind another crate and curled himself small. He fingered the ring that, just this morning, Zelda had slipped onto his finger as she gave him her heart forever. "Zel," he whispered, searching for the warmth of their bond. He felt nothing. "I can't feel her!"

"Link," Samus said, "We're on a different world. I'm afraid that not even heart-bonds can stretch that far." She looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."

Link put his head in his hands. Without Zelda. They had been separated before, but the heart-bond forged when they had combined their magic had always been there. He could always feel her with him, even when she wasn't. Now, all he felt was emptiness.

* * *

"Uh, guys? Problem," Wario said, indicating the hallway ahead of them. It was a complete dead end, with no stairways or corridors in sight.

"Well, this is unfortunate," Ganondorf remarked, noticing the dead end. He twisted his head to look at the guards behind them, grimly flicking off the safeties on their shotguns. "Very unfortunate indeed."

He sighed, speeding up his sprint into a full on run. "I suppose we have no other option, then. Hurry up, gentlemen! We need full momentum if this is going to succeed!"

"Full momentum? For what?" Bowser asked, then noticed the enormous stained-glass window at the end of the hall. "Oh. Oh, no. You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid I am," Ganondorf replied, smiling a little. "Brace yourselves!"

"You're crazy!" Wario yelled, increasing his speed regardless.

"This is your last warning!" one of the guards called out. "You have nowhere to run! Surrender now, or you will be shot!"

"You heard him, gentlemen," Ganondorf said. "This is our last chance. Any thoughts of surrender?"

Bowser and Wario looked at each other, then back at Ganondorf. "No," they said simultaneously.

Ganondorf's smile widened. "I thought you might say that."

"_Open fire!_" the guard shouted, aiming his own gun.

"NOW!" Ganondorf yelled.

With a mighty leap, Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario jumped through the stained-glass window, shattering it. They seemed to fall in slow motion, twinkling glass shards falling past them while bullets flew over their heads and into the distance.

Ganondorf hit the ground rolling, leaping into a standing position and continuing his run. Bowser and Wario hit the ground more awkwardly, scrambling to their feet and sprinting after Ganondorf.

The guards halted at the broken window, staring down at the fleeing Smashers in openmouthed shock. Not one of them accepted what his eyes were telling him.

"…They're not human," one of them croaked out. "We're _five stories up! _How can they still be standing?"

"Unbelievable," another commented, shaking his head. "Where did these guys _come_ from?"

* * *

"Did we lose 'em?" Wario panted.

The trio was hiding in an alley, their strength utterly exhausted. Wario and Ganondorf were leaning against a wall, breathing in short gasps. Bowser was crouched behind a Dumpster, shielding himself from any passersby.

"I hope so," Bowser grumbled. "If they're still after us, I think I'll find out how one of them tastes. Maybe that'll scare them off."

Ganondorf straightened up, looking revolted. "Surely you are jesting with us?"

"A little," Bowser admitted. "I'm too full to eat anything right now."

Ganondorf gave Bowser a strange look before speaking. "Well, gentlemen, now that we have successfully evaded our pursuers, what do you propose for our next course of action?"

Before either Bowser or Wario could respond, a series of shrill sirens split the air. Ganondorf and Wario darted behind the Dumpster, bumping into Bowser. "Hey, watch it!" Bowser growled. "Personal space, guys! Personal space!"

"Keep your voice down!" Ganondorf hissed, looking from side to side. "Our pursuers could be right next to us!"

The trio stayed stock-still behind the Dumpster, hardly daring to breathe. When it seemed the coast was clear, they tentatively peeked out.

A long line of black and white cars were roaring past the end of the alley, heading back the way the Smashers had come. L.A.P.D. was printed on the side of each car.

After the last car had passed, the trio sank to the ground, sighing in relief.

"Tell me somethin'," Wario declared. "What kinda crazy world _is_ dis, anyhow?"

Neither Bowser nor Ganondorf could give him an answer.

* * *

"…Run, as fast as they can. Run and hide, because the monsters are coming – the human race."

-The Tenth Doctor, _Doctor Who_

* * *

U92: Pretty fitting quote, eh? Kinda sad to think that of all the worlds they've visited, Earth has been the most immediately dangerous.

I wrote most of this chapter, while Sue2 covered the area in the middle, with the three good Smashers and the scientist. In upcoming chapters, the different groups of Smashers will be working more independently of each other, so Sue2 will be completely writing the "good Smasher" sections while I'll have the "evil Smasher" sections. Hopefully this will make the co-authorship aspect a little more obvious.

I gave Wario an accent somwhere between New York and New Jersey, in response to one of my reviewers saying he sounded too "proper". (Apologies if you're from that area, it just seemed to fit!)

Wow...I actually didn't plan for Devlin to become as big a threat as he did. Scientists get _dangerous_ when you smash their toys.

Remember to check out Smash Mind: The Official Forum!

Sue2: This chapter is fun. Poor window... it deserved better. But it was in their way. -sigh-  
Link... :'(  
See you next chapter!

REVIEW!


	4. Hunger

U92: You know, we're starting to think you all don't deserve this. We work pretty hard on this, and get almost no reviews. What, no one has ANYTHING to say? (sad face)

Oh well. We like making this, so you're probably still going to get new chapters. We'd just appreciate some reviews. Is that too much to ask?

Sue2: Hi again! I never have very much to say in ANs, so I'm just going to put in a shameless plug for my Unity rewrite. Just for good measure, I'll add another shameless plug for Smash Mind: The Official Forum. As far as I am aware, no one has visited it yet. Go see it! Enjoy our story!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Three-

_Hunger_

* * *

"Link!" Samus hissed, shaking the sleeping Hylian. He shifted, frowned, then opened his eyes and sat up. Before he could speak, Samus put a finger to her lips. "Shh. This truck is moving."

"What's going on?" Link asked softly. "What's moving?"

"This truck," Samus said. "Travelling through the gate left most of our caloric energy somewhere between dimensions. That was a bug I'd been trying to work out - how to send energy through the gate. We'd been running on adrenaline since then from the people chasing us. We all fell asleep in the truck. The truck has now been closed up. They're transporting the cargo somewhere. When this thing stops, we're going to have to make a break for it."

Link nodded. In the short silence following, the two heard a snore, and someone muttering something. They both looked over at Mario.

"Link?" Samus whispered hesitantly. "Does... Mario look any... different... to you?"

Link nodded slowly. "I think... he was like this since we came through the gate. I noticed, but I didn't have much time to think about it."

Mario was taller than they remembered him. He wasn't quite Link's height, but he was probably comparable to Marth's. He looked much older, and his moustache had become smaller, no longer actually leaving his face. He was still fairly stout, but Samus could see his strength in his arms and legs. He looked very like the people who inhabited the world they were in now.

"Mario is human, right?" Samus asked, still at a whisper. "Perhaps this is what humans look like here." She looked at Link and chuckled. "Wow. Look at you. If everyone here looks like Mario or Dr. Irving, no wonder just seeing us seems to give people a shock."

Link smiled. "I doubt I'm the only odd looking one. Seeing your suit ought to give people a fright too." Samus glared and smacked him across the head.

Mario snored loudly and muttered again.

Samus smacked herself this time. "I should have woken him first. At least you sleep quietly." She crawled over to Mario and shook him too. He opened his eyes, and Samus whispered an explanation of what was happening into his ear.

Suddenly the truck stopped. "Sir," the muffled voice of a young man said, "We're going to have to search your truck. There are dangerous fugitives in the area, and we need to apprehend them soon."

Someone else, who Samus assumed was the truck driver, replied. "You think there are fugitives in my truck?"

"We have to search it," the young man said. "All vehicles exiting the blockades are to be searched. We can't let them escape."

Samus motioned to the other two to come close to her. She whispered. "They're going to open up the back of this truck. Mario, get a fireball ready, but don't use it unless necessary. I'm not sure they know what they're dealing with. Link, have your sword out. I'll shoot an energy ball, and then we all run for it." She powered up a small energy ball in the tip of her gun.

The three stood, tense, as the driver argued with the cool young man. Finally, Samus heard the first man, clearly the leader, shout to others, 'Okay! Let's get this truck open.'

"Ready," Samus whispered, raising her gun. Mario's palm glowed slightly red as he prepared a fireball, and Link drew his sword smoothly.

The back of the truck was hoisted open. Five men in dark uniforms stared at them for a split second, shocked.

"Now!" shouted Samus, firing her energy ball at the centre of the group. The two in the middle ducked out of the way.

Before the rest could fire, Samus had jumped over their heads and hit the ground. Link and Mario followed quickly, and the three took off at top speed down the street.

"Mario!" Samus said, as they ran. "Fireballs! Use the bouncing ones."

Mario turned around. As he ran backwards, he shot four fireballs out of his hand. Each bounced down the street towards their pursuers.

"Call the fire department!" Someone shouted.

"Call for reinforcements," the man ordered. "We can't let them get away this time!" One of the men stopped, pulling out a cell phone. Four men continued their pursuit.

"Reinforcements!" Samus said. "We've got to get out of here." She turned and ran sideways, into someone's backyard. Link and Mario darted after her.

"In here," Link hissed, pulling the other two into the shelter of a leafy willow tree. "Behind me. My clothes blend in with the tree more than yours."

The three of them stood stock-still, every muscle clenched, as their pursuers ran by. When they were gone, Link parted the curtain of leaves slightly. "The coast is clear," he whispered.

The three slipped out of the tree. "This way," Samus said. She put one hand on the fence and vaulted over easily. Link and Mario followed.

After passing through another backyard, the trio found themselves on a different little street. They began to walk along it.

Mario's stomach grumbled loudly. "I'm-a starving," he said.

"All our caloric energy has been sapped from our bodies," Samus said again. "We slept for a while in that truck, so we were still able to function, but we'll need food and rest very soon. I'm pretty hungry too." She looked at Link, a question in her eyes.

"I'm hungry, but I can faire for a while longer without." Link shrugged slightly.

"It's probably your magic," Samus said. "It's earth, right? It's probably providing you with temporary succour from weariness and hunger. But once it runs out, you'll be in even worse shape than Mario or I."

Link nodded. "So we need to find some shelter."

"Quickly," Samus agreed.

* * *

"I'm starvin'," Wario complained, scratching at his belly.

"We get it, you're hungry," Bowser growled. "Would you please stop complaining? You're only making it worse for the rest of us."

The trio had awoken from an uneasy sleep in the alley several hours before. They were still alone and unharmed, no one having discovered them while they slept. The question of what to do next immediately emerged.

Before they could decide on a course of action, however, Wario's stomach began to grumble loudly. All three of them began to display obvious hunger pangs, soon growing unable to focus on anything but the insatiable call of their appetites. A search of the Dumpster yielded nothing any of them deemed edible. Finding no other options, the trio was forced to sit against the wall and attempt to think of something other than their aching stomachs.

Wario sprang to his feet. "All right, dat's enough o' dis. I'm goin' ta get food whedder you guys like it or not."

"Are you mad?" Ganondorf said instantly. "If you go out there, you risk capture! Do you have any idea what the people of this world will do to us if we fall into their hands?"

"I dunno and I don't care," Wario announced, his head held high. "I am gettin' some _food_ or I will die right here, right now. You guys comin'?"

Ganondorf and Bowser looked at each other, then shrugged.

"I suppose there is no point in postponing it," Ganondorf sighed, getting to his feet. "Neither of us could stand this accursed hunger any longer as well, I think."

Bowser nodded, gingerly pawing at his midsection.

The trio cautiously crept out of the alley, poised to flee at any second if they heard even the slightest sound. Seeing no one around, they quickly hurried across the street and into an adjacent alley, checking all directions for signs of movement.

A nerve-wracking couple of hours ensued. The trio made their way further and further into the city, using alleys, side streets, and any other means of cover they could find. As the sun crept higher into the sky and more people appeared on the streets, it became harder and harder to keep their presence hidden. Though he did not share his thoughts with the others, each wondered how long they could last before getting caught.

Sprinting through a deserted loading dock, Wario began to feel Bowser's eyes on him. He turned to the Koopa, fixing him with a quizzical look. "What?"

Bowser blinked and shook his head, breaking the intense stare he had been giving Wario. "Sorry. It's just…you look different. You changed somehow when we got here. I just now noticed."

Wario looked down at his body, examining his now smaller head, portly frame, and slightly longer limbs. "Hey, you're right. I _do_ look different. How 'bout dat, huh?"

"You now look like the beings of this world," Ganondorf observed. "This could prove useful if you wish to infiltrate their environment."

"Hell, I don't really care," Wario laughed. "If it'll help me survive 'round here, it's okay by me."

Eventually, the trio was forced to halt at the end of another alley. Peering out, they spotted several L.A.P.D. police trucks parked horizontally in the street, creating a blockade. Grim-faced police officers stood guard in front of the trucks, holding rifles. Some were pacing back and forth slowly, alert eyes scanning the streets for signs of movement.

The trio ducked back into the alley, forming a small huddle.

"Well, gentlemen," Ganondorf said stoically, "stealth may have gotten us this far, but that no longer seems to be an option. There can be no doubt as to what those men are for: preventing our escape from this area. We will need a different strategy if we are to successfully obtain both nourishment and a secure path away from our pursuers. Any thoughts?"

"How about plain old brute force?" Bowser suggested. "When all else fails, smash something."

Ganondorf regarded him critically. "I think you may be on to something there."

* * *

"So, who are we trying to capture, anyway?" one of the L.A.P.D. officers asked, resting his rifle on his shoulder.

Another officer glared at him. "Does it matter? We have our orders, all we need to do is follow them. Which is what you _should_ have your mind on, by the way."

"But we have no idea who we're after," the first officer objected. "We don't even know if this citywide lockdown is even necessary."

The first officer sighed. "The broadcast said there are six fugitives suspected of sabotaging a piece of military equipment on the loose in this area. They are criminals, possibly even terrorists; described as armed and dangerous. I think a lockdown is the best step if we don't want civilians getting hurt."

Whatever response the first officer might have given was drowned out by a large roar from a shadowy nearby alley. The officers froze in place, unsnapping the safeties on their rifles and aiming them towards the source of the noise.

Bowser charged from the alley, crouching down slightly to let the shots being fired ricochet off his shell. Coming to a stop right in the middle of the mass of officers, Bowser straightened up, snarling. He savagely punched two of the men out of the way, grabbing a third in a chokehold with a meaty claw.

Bowser brought the choking and sputtering man directly in front of his face. "Tell the others to drop their weapons!" he ordered. "Or all of you die!"

"Y-you can talk!" the man wheezed, his eyes almost popping out of his head.

Bowser rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yes, I talk! How is that such a hard concept to grasp? Honestly, you humanoids are all the same. The Smashers treated me the same way when I first met them. Everyone talked to me like I was some big, dumb animal. Only Mario and Peach didn't, but Mario's view of me was hardly any better-"

"If you could get to the point, please," the man gasped, turning blue in the face.

"Fine," Bowser growled, a puff of smoke issuing from his nostrils. "My…_associates_ and I want two things. No more, no less. Understand?"

Vigorous head-nodding came from all the men.

"First, we want you to let us through this barrier, no questions asked," Bowser stated. "And if you try to capture us when our backs are turned, my associates will _not_ be happy."

Ganondorf and Wario confidently strode out from the alleyway, cracking their knuckles and grinning. For an added touch, Ganondorf's hands began to glow purple.

"Okay! Okay!" one of the other officers said hurriedly, throwing down his rifle and holding up his hands in a sign of surrender. The others quickly did the same. "We'll let you go past! You can have whatever else you want! Anything, anything at all! _But please let go of Chief Ramirez before he chokes to death!_"

Bowser glanced at the man he was holding around the neck, having momentarily forgotten he was there. "Oh. Sorry."

He released the man, letting him drop to the street in an unceremonious heap. Chief Ramirez clutched at his neck, coughing madly.

"We also want food," Bowser continued, speaking loudly over Chief Ramirez's hacks and grunts. "Lots of it. We're feeling pretty ravenous this morning, you see."

One of the officers blinked. "You're _hungry_?"

"Yeah, do you know any place we can get large amounts of food around here?" Bowser replied, oblivious to the officers' general state of surprise. "We'll just eat here, and be on our way. No harm done to any of us."

One of the officers raised a shaky hand. "Uh, there's a M-McDonalds down the s-street," he stammered. "We c-could order a bunch of burgers and stuff off of the Dollar Menu…"

Ganondorf stepped forward, looking fascinated. "What is this 'McDonalds'? Tell us more."

The officer let out a sigh that was half nervousness and half exasperation. _Of all the things I _thought _I'd be doing when I got up this morning…_

* * *

Cheryl Macintyre sighed angrily, fiddling with her yellow and red uniform. She was having the absolute worst day today.

Her college professor had recently given her an F on her term paper, her hair simply refused to cooperate with her today; she had an ingrown toenail that was possibly infected, and she got fired from her awesome job at Abercrombie and Fitch, forced to take a dead-end position as a cashier for McDonalds. Suffice to say, she was feeling mighty pissed at the moment.

However, she did quirk an eyebrow when a trembling man stepped up to the counter, taking loud, wheezing breaths and wearing a police uniform that looked like it had been through the spin cycle with him still in it.

"Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order please?" Cheryl recited, still taking in the man's strange appearance.

"Uh, yeah, hi," the man mumbled, looking from side to side nervously. "I-I'd like to order off the D-D-Dollar Menu, p-please."

"Sure," Cheryl replied idly, popping her gum as she punched the _Dollar Menu _icon on her keypad. "What do you want?"

"I w-want – hang on," the man said, unfolding a piece of paper and squinting at it. "100 Big Macs, 150 orders of fries, about two dozen parfait orders, and 50 orders of chicken wings."

Cheryl's mouth dropped open. "What, are you trying to kill yourself?" she demanded. "Can you even _lift_ that much food?"

"I h-have some f-friends waiting outside, they'll help me with it," the man explained, jerking a thumb at the group of equally nervous-looking officers loitering just outside. "Now c-can you p-please just take my order?"

"I don't know," Cheryl said doubtfully. "I don't think I'm allowed to sell you that much food. It's, like, a health rule or something."

"_Can you just take my order, please!" _the man yelled, mopping at his sweating brow.

Cheryl shrank back from the counter. "Okay, okay! Jeez, chill out, man."

"T-thank you. Thank you so m-much, miss," the man said, looking tremendously relieved. "C-can I have that t-to go, please?"

* * *

Evidently straining, the group of officers gently lowered a large platter covered in wrapped packages to the street in front of the three Smashers. The trio slowly approached the platter, already devouring the feast before them with their eyes. Wario reached it first, salivating. "Now _dat's_ what I call food! Chow time, boys!"

One officer held up a cautionary hand. "Just a word of advice. Eating this much food at once could screw up your body's chemistry like you wouldn't believe, so it's best to-"

Wario snatched up as many burgers as he could, frantically ripping the covers off and cramming them down his gullet.

"-take it slow," the officer finished lamely.

The police officers watched with a disgusted fascination as the Smashers feasted. Wario was downing burger after burger, only pausing to munch on some fries or a chicken wing. Bowser was stuffing as much food as he could down his throat, his fangs working furiously. Only Ganondorf was eating at a reasonable pace, sitting cross-legged on the street and calmly chewing one burger at a time, looking as though he wanted to spit out every bite.

"Man, this is _a lot_ of food," one of the officers murmured to the trembling Chief Ramirez. "How'd you pay for this, anyway?"

"Don't ask," moaned Chief Ramirez. "Just don't ask!"

At last, the Smashers finished their meal, leaving a huge mound of trash and food debris upon the platter.

Wario burped. "Ah, _dat _hit da spot, awright! I haven't had grub dat good in _months_! Dis is awmost enough to make me consider stayin' here!"

"Well, _I_ wouldn't go _that_ far," Bowser cautioned, awkwardly climbing to his feet. "but it was pretty good. Certainly better than those meager rations we were given on our last journey."

Ganondorf grimaced, carefully wiping his mouth. "Not quite as succulent as Gerudo fare," he said delicately, "but adequate to quench our hunger for the time being. We should get moving, gentlemen."

Bowser and Wario nodded, falling into step beside him. The trio began to move off, breaking into a run and disappearing around a corner.

The officers were completely silent; their gazes moving from the spot the Smashers had disappeared from to the pile of greasy wrappers, and back again.

Chief Ramirez staggered in front of them. "Listen up," he gasped. "The three of them overpowered us and took one of us hostage. They demanded safe passage past the blockades, which we gave them. _Not a word about anything else that happened._ Understand?"

There were loud choruses of agreement.

* * *

The man was standing at a window, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. His face was lined, showing that he had lost sleep recently. And for good reason.

Papers were littered all over his desk, TOP SECRET and CLASSIFIED stamped over all of them. The golden placard which read _Director of the National Security Agency of America _was almost completely swamped. Completing the spectacle were picture of the gate and of Devlin, scattered haphazardly across the papers.

An intercom buzzed. _"Mr. Easton, sir?"_

"Go ahead," the man replied, not turning from his position at the window.

"_We have an intelligence update concerning the gate saboteurs," _the voice on the intercom continued. _"According to police reports, all six saboteurs have broken through the blockades and escaped."_

Easton shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. "Notify the FBI and CIA of the situation. There's no use delaying it now. Also, find an unassigned field agent. I need someone, anyone, capable of tracking them down. "

"_Understood, sir,"_ said the voice on the intercom. The sound of typing keys could be heard.

After several minutes, Easton turned away from the window, looking impatient. "Well?"

"…_There is somebody, sir,"_ the voice said hesitantly, _"but you're not going to like it."_

"Tell me," Easton ordered.

The voice told him.

* * *

"Emergencies have always been necessary to progress. It was darkness which produced the lamp. It was fog that produced the compass. It was hunger that drove us to exploration."

-Victor Hugo

* * *

U92: Can anyone guess where I got the name of the NSA director from?

This is the last of the "setup" chapters. The story's _really_ going to pick up from here.

Anyone else hate McDonalds as much as we do?

Sue2: I really have nothing to say in this AN either, except I hope you enjoy this chapter! And, if we don't get another one up before Christmas, merry christmas!

REVIEW!


	5. Beginnings

U92: Happy holdiays everybody! Consider this chapter our Christmas present to all of you.

This chapter's all about the OCs, as we get a glimpse of the human protagonists of New World. See if you can guess which is Sue2's and which is mine.

Sue2: Well, here's where everything _really_ begins. Shall we?

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Four-

_Beginnings_

* * *

The phone rang. She dropped her book, reached out for the phone, picked up quickly. "Alicia Peri, records department."

"Alicia," a male voice said. Judge David Jenison, a young man with a passion for right and a friendly, informal demeanour. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course, sir," Alicia said. "What can I do for you?"

"I mean down here," Jenison said. "Can you come to my office?"

"Of course. I'll be right there."

"Thanks." he hung up.

Straightening her black skirt and fiddling slightly with her short blond hair, Alicia set off down the hallway. The court was a big place, and built like a Greek temple, but thankfully Alicia's domain, the records department, wasn't too far from the office she was being sent to.

She stood for a moment in front of Judge Jenison's door, then took a breath and knocked. The door opened. "Come in, Alicia," the judge said, smiling.

Alicia moved forward a step. When she lifted her other foot, she felt the heel of her shoe - stupid high heels - catch on the slightly raised tiles. She stumbled forwards.

Jenison caught her arm. "Are you alright?"

Alicia nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm fine."

Judge Jenison smiled. "Sit down, please."

Alicia obediently sat down in the leather chair facing the judge's desk. "What did you want to see me about, sir?"

"Someone has been searching the client lists and accessing our major databases," he said, "without authorization. I thought, since you are the one who looks after the records, you might know a little about it."

Alicia forced herself to continue to look straight at Jenison, prayed he wouldn't see the fear in her eyes.

Jenison sighed. "Alicia. Security has examined the surveillance tapes of the records department. You're the only one who's been in there in the past three days. You do know you could be fired and even arrested for fraud?"

"Sir, if I had changed anything, the change would have appeared on the monitoring system." Alicia kept her expression blank.

"I know," Jenison said. "That doesn't change the fact that you could have. Alicia, you're a wonderful woman and the best clerk in the place. I can say you had my permission to be there, but I need to know why you're doing it."

Alicia looked at the ground. "I'm looking for someone."

"Who?" Alicia could feel Jenison's gaze burning twin holes in the top of her head. She raised her eyes to meet his.

"Do you know my twin brother?" she asked.

Jenison looked thoughtful. "Yes, I believe I do. Jeremy, right?"

"Yes, sir. Three years ago, he got an intern position at a lab near here. There was an accident... he went into a coma and was hospitalized." Alicia sighed and continued. "A few months ago, Jeremy woke up. In a few days he was out of the hospital."

Jenison smiled. "Good! How's he doing?"

"Physically, he's doing very well. But he has no memories from before he went into his coma. He... didn't even recognize me." Alicia felt tears prick her eyes at the memory of her beloved twin opening his eyes, looking blankly past her. 'Who are you?' he had asked. 'Where am I?'

"That's awful." Jenison put a hand on her arm.

Alicia swallowed and continued. "He has regained no memories since then. All he remembers is... a dream that he had. But he is completely sure it wasn't a dream. He says he crossed dimensions, became a different being... he helped in some sort of revolution... fell in love with a girl. Apparently she was from this world as well... and she is all he thinks or talks about. He feels so bad for not being able to find her... he keeps saying 'I let go. I promised I'd hold onto her, and I let her down.' It's driving him crazy... So I figure if I can find her, maybe he'll get some of his old memories back, or at least..." She looked down. "At least he'll be happy. He seems to love her... a lot..." She looked away and wiped her eyes.

"So you're looking for her through our records," Jenison said. "Alicia, I'm so sorry. It must be so hard for you." He nodded decisively. "Right. Wherever you need to go, whatever records you need to search, anywhere - you have my permission." He smiled. "Not much is out of the reach of a judge."

Alicia smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"In return, will you do me a favour?"

"Anything, sir!" Alicia said.

Jenison looked straight at her, smiled. "Please. When we're not on official business, call me David. I've only been a judge for two years, and everyone calling me 'sir' or 'Your Honour' makes me feel like I'm forty."

"How old are you, Si-"

"Ah!" Jenison shook a finger.

"Uh... David?" It felt unbelievably strange to be calling a judge by his first name, even one as young as Jenison.

Jenison smiled. "That's better. To answer your question, I'm twenty-six. But don't tell anyone - I've been saying I'm thirty to get them off of my backs with all of their 'friendly advice'. Everyone's always trying to influence the judge... nobody ever actually wants to be _friends_ with me. Promise me you won't do that?"

Alicia smiled. "I won't si-"

"Ah!"

Alicia smiled again. "David. Thank you."

Jenison looked up at the clock. "Well, look at that. Four o'clock. Since there are no further cases for me today, I get to go home. So do you, I think. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Alicia nodded, smiled, and left the office. She headed back to the Records Department to get her purse. Picking a few files to finish cataloguing that night, she set off on the walk to the bus stop.

Alicia gazed out the bus window at the streets whizzing by. She took her book out of her purse and started to read again. It was due in the library tomorrow - she'd have to go tonight. Maybe Jeremy'd come with her.

When the bus came to a halt for the fifth time, Alicia looked up. Her stop. She got off the bus, concentrating on her feet to make sure she didn't trip again.

Looking around at the suburb in which she lived, Alicia couldn't help but smile. With Jenison's help, she'd be able to search for this 'Sael' girl without risking her job. And at least Jer was alive... she had been so sure he was going to die. And though he had forgotten her, he knew who she was now, and they were slowly becoming more comfortable with each other. It was a beautiful day, as well. The sun was shining (as usual), a cool breeze was blowing, and the world seemed bright.

* * *

"Link? Are you okay?" Samus caught Link's arm as he stumbled slightly.

"Fine," Link lied. They had been walking for hours, hiding tensely whenever someone came by. Link was feeling light-headed and weak, starving as well. Samus and Mario walked slowly, holding their stomachs.

"Has your magic run out, Link?" Link didn't answer.

Samus looked concerned. "We need to find shelter, now."

They heard the sound of a siren. "They're-a coming!" Mario hissed.

The three ran as fast as they could. Samus was fastest, having her suit to support her. Then came Link, who still had some of his magic left, then Mario, who was never as fast as the other two, even well fed. They raced into the nearest backyard, threw themselves into the cover of a bush.

Link heard a slight grunt from Samus as her helmet smashed against the main stem of the bush. She went limp.

The siren wailed by and faded out of their hearing.

"Samus," Link whispered. "Are you alright?" he got no answer. He said to Mario, "Help me get her out of here."

The two dragged Samus out of the bush and lay her on the grass. Link removed her helmet and put a hand to her forehead. "She's just knocked out," he said. "Give me a second, I can revive her."

Link closed his eyes, drew the last of his magic out into his palm, and used it to coax Samus back into consciousness. Samus murmured and opened her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You hit your head," Link said, pointing at the bush.

Samus rubbed the top of her head. "That's going to leave a bump," she said. She got unsteadily to her feet, regaining her balance quickly. "Did you use your magic to revive me?"

Link nodded. Samus frowned.

"Let's-a go," Mario put in. "We-a need to keep-a moving."

Samus nodded. "Come on."

The three of them made their way into the street again.

"Just a second," Link said. He put a hand to his head. "Give me a moment."

Mario was saying something, but Link couldn't quite understand it. He remembered what Zel had warned him when she was teaching him to control his magic - never use all of it. The world spun, and his vision became fuzzy. He staggered, trying to keep his balance. He failed, and he felt his head hit the sidewalk as his world went black.

* * *

Alicia saw three people standing on the sidewalk a short way from her house. One, slight, blond, wearing green and facing away from her, bent over and staggered slightly. A woman in an orange costume, helmet in one hand, and an older man in overalls tried to catch the figure in green as the person fell.

"Hey!" Alicia shouted, running over to the three. "Is something wrong?"

The woman, laying the one in green gently on the sidewalk, looked up at Alicia, the flash of fear in her eyes quickly masked by calm. "He's starving and exhausted," she said. "We've been walking for most of the day and some of yesterday without food." She reached down smoothly with one hand and quickly slipped the hat of the one in green, a young man, over most of his face.

She looked at them searchingly. "Why?"

Neither the brown-haired man with the moustache and hat nor the blue-eyed woman with the long, blond ponytail said anything.

"I'll call the paramedics... He might be seriously ill."

"No!" the woman blurted out, before she could stop herself.

"At least let me have a look at him..." Alicia looked closer at the unconscious young man, pulling his hat off of his face. She gasped. This man was not human.

He was tall, but very slim. His eyebrows slanted inwards dramatically, and the line of his closed eyelids followed the tilt. His long ears came to sharp points at the tips.

Alicia looked around at the other two - were they also like him? But no - the only thing odd about the woman with the ponytail was her attire, and besides a rather out of fashion hat, the man in the overalls looked like someone you could pass on the streets at any time.

"He's... not human," she said quietly. "is he? That's why you're running. Something finally came out of the gate that got Jeremy." Her eyes lit up. Maybe they could help him! "I need your help... badly. Please."

"We have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment," the blond woman said, pointing at the still unconscious young man.

"Come to my house," Alicia said. "You said you're tired and hungry? You can sleep and eat at my place. I can hide you. Please! I'll do anything!"

The woman looked down at the unconscious young man, then at the man in the overalls. He nodded. "Alright," she said, reaching down to lift the man in green.

"Let me help," Alicia said. She hoisted the young man to his feet, draping his arm over her shoulder. "My name is Alicia."

The blond woman hesitated before replying with, "Samus." She motioned to conscious man. "That's Mario. The one who's out cold is Link."

"My house is just up ahead," Alicia said. What a day _this_ was turning out to be.

* * *

_Humming to himself, the man inserted a key into the lock, turning it slightly. The door swung open. "I'm home!" the man called, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. He set down his briefcase, stopped, and silently counted to ten, a knowing smile on his face._

_On ten, a small blur appeared out of nowhere, latching tightly onto his legs. Looking down, the man saw a five-year-old girl with short brown pigtails beaming up at him. "Hi, Daddy!"_

_The man smiled, bending down and ruffling her hair affectionately. "Hey there, Naomi. How you doing, pumpkin?"_

"_Good," the girl chirped happily. "Mommy and I painted today. I made a doggy! Look, Daddy!" She held up a piece of paper covered in smears of paint._

"_Hey, that's pretty good," the man said, pretending to thoughtfully study the picture. "You could be a famous artist someday!"_

_The girl giggled. "Daddy," she said reproachfully. "I'm gonna be a doctor, 'member?"_

"_Oh, right," the man said, shaking his head ruefully and smiling. "Daddy's pretty dumb, isn't he?"_

"_Sam? Is that you?" a light, clear voice sounded from further inside the house._

"_In here, honey," the man called. He straightened up, giving the girl one last pat on the head before heading into the hallway. " 'Scuse me, hon. Mommy's calling."_

_A woman appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, moving forward and enveloping the man in a tight hug. "Welcome home, Sam," she whispered in his ear. "I made chicken marinara today. Your favourite."_

"_That sounds delicious," the man murmured. "How soon is dinner?"_

_The woman drew back, her brilliant green eyes seeming to burn directly through him. "Not for a few hours, so no spoiling your appetite with those addicting pretzels of yours," she teased reproachfully. "I'll know if you've had any."_

_The man extracted himself from the hug, holding his arms up in mock outrage. "You kill me, Lorraine!" he cried out. "No pretzels? How will I survive?"_

"_I'm sure you'll find a way," the woman said, rolling her eyes. She retreated back into the kitchen and out of sight. _

_Chuckling to himself, the man picked up his briefcase and walked into the next room. Setting the case down on a table, the man lay down on a couch, propping his feet up and closing his eyes._

_The woman's voice floated into the room. "How long are you staying this time, Sam? Naomi has a school assembly in a few weeks and I think she'd be happy if you came to see it." _

"_I won't be going back for awhile," the man mumbled, already half-asleep. "I took an extended leave after got back from the Devlin assignment. Still can't figure out what the Russians would want with a nut like that, anyway."_

_The woman's voice sounded relieved. "I'm glad. This house is always a little brighter when you're around."_

_The man said something unintelligible, rolling over on the couch._

"_What was that, Sam?" the woman's voice asked._

"_Sam?"_

"_Sam?"_

* * *

"Sam?"

The man blinked, slowly returning to consciousness. A hazy picture began to form, gradually increasing in quality. It appeared to be an image of a concerned-looking, slightly bald, middle-aged man. The man tried to figure out what this image meant to him, but drew a complete blank. For a moment, the man had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there.

Then he remembered.

He was inside Willie's Bar and Grill, a popular place for people from all walks of life to share a beer and enjoy some company. The man had arrived there with a slightly different purpose, to get royally and utterly smashed. He had downed shot after shot before he finally passed out, head slumping on the bar. The bartender, Willie himself, was shaking the man awake.

"You okay, Sam?" Willie asked, noticing the man's sluggish movements. "You had me worried for a minute there."

"Why'd you wake me up, Willie?" the man questioned sleepily. "I was having a really good dream..."

"Oh, Sam," Willie said sympathetically, shaking his head. "You didn't deserve any of this..."

"Would you stop that, Willie?" the man slurred, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes. "I've got enough to deal with without your pity. I don't want it or need it. Just leave me alone, will you?"

"Sam, what's come over you? You've never talked to me like this before," Willie exclaimed, looking stricken. "How much alcohol have you _had_?"

A patron to the left of the man snickered. "He's only had about four shots. This guy can't hold his liquor _at all_. Pretty embarrassing for him, really."

"Hey!" Willie said, scowling at the patron. "This is Sam Mayberry, an old pal of mine and one of the nicest people I've ever met. He comes by here at least once a month, and _always_ makes sure to pay his tab. He's never done a rotten thing in his life, but some pretty rotten things have happened to him. So I won't have anyone making fun of him around here, understand?"

"Okay, okay," the patron grumbled, returning to his beer.

"You didn't have to do that," Mayberry informed Willie. "I can take care of myself, you know. I don't need you protecting me."

"You're not in your right mind, Sam," Willie said patiently. "I think we'd better get you home."

"Not yet," Mayberry declared, drawing his shot glass toward him protectively. "I need another shot. I haven't had enough yet. When I can't remember their faces anymore...when their voices stop haunting me when I try to sleep...then I've had enough. But not now. Not yet."

With a gentle but firm motion, Willie pulled away Mayberry's glass and set it down on the bar. "Dan! Johnny!" he called. "Please help Sam outside. He needs to sober up."

At Willie's call, the two bouncers at the front door moved forward, each hooking an arm around Mayberry. Carefully extracting him from the stool he was on, the bouncers slowly dragged the protesting Mayberry out the door, setting him on his feet.

"Willie cares about you," one of them spoke, "so go home and sober up. It's for your own good."

"And don't drive," the other one added. "It's dangerous, you know."

"Screw you!" Mayberry growled, shaking both of them off and stumbling down the sidewalk.

By the time he reached his car, Mayberry was swaying from side to side, having developed a pounding headache. He stumbled against the side of his car, fumbling in his pocket for the keys.

His cell phone rang.

"Oh, for..." Mayberry exclaimed, letting go of the keys accidentally. Swearing under his breath, he yanked out his cell phone and flipped it open, bringing it up to the side of his face. "What?" he barked.

"Nice to hear from you too, Sam," Easton's voice sounded on the other end of the line.

Mayberry straightened up, at once completely sober. "How did you get this number?" he demanded.

Easton sighed. "Sam, I am the director of the National Security Agency. I have _all_ the numbers."

"Do you remember what I said would happen if you ever contacted me again?" Mayberry said angrily.

"Yes, and in graphic detail," Easton said dryly. "Believe me, Sam, if I had another option I would take it. But I'm afraid in this case we need your level of expertise. Your country is calling you-"

"Cut the crap, Easton," Mayberry exclaimed furiously, face tight with rage. "I stopped buying into your little 'patriot' spiel after my last assignment. So say what you need to say, then get out of my life."

"Very well, Sam," Easton said, his tone noticeably colder. "There has been an act of sabotage against a machine of Dr. Devlin's. The saboteurs are loose somewhere on the Lower East Side, having gotten past a police blockade. We need you to locate the saboteurs and assist in their capture. And if possible, determine their motives and who they're working for."

"I understand," Mayberry confirmed. "So why, exactly, should I take this assignment?"

"Well, it certainly pays better than an out-of-work private detective gets," Easton shot back. "Besides, I don't think you realize just how big this assignment is. If you succeed, I think we'll be too busy concealing this incident from the public to pay you much attention. And if you fail...well, let's just say there might not be an NSA to contact you anymore."

"A win-win situation," Mayberry grunted. "Fine. I'll do it. But this is the last time."

"We shall see, Sam," Easton said mysteriously. "We shall see." The line went dead.

Mayberry took the phone away from his face, pocketing it and staring ruefully into the distance. "I hate you, Easton. I really do."

Sighing, Mayberry bent down and picked up his keys. Unlocking his car, he climbed inside and shut the door, leaning back against the headrest on his seat. _What have I gotten myself into now?_

* * *

Ganondorf scowled, pulling on his collar. "I do not approve of these new garments. They are too constricting for my tastes."

"To each his own, buddy," Wario shrugged, happily looking over his own clothes. "I happen to dink _I_ look pretty damn snazzy!"

The trio had been on high alert after escaping the blockades, sneaking around with a greater urgency than usual for the rest of the day. As they were about to rest in an alley, Wario spotted a clothing store that had just closed for the night. Ganondorf convinced the others to sneak inside, explaining that his and Wario's human-like appearance allowed them to blend in – but their clothes did not. If the two of them could get new clothes, they could mingle with other humans without arousing suspicion. Bowser and Wario reluctantly agreed, unsure if the payoff was worth the risk.

The three of them crept inside the deserted store, Ganondorf and Wario selecting clothes that fit them while Bowser stood guard. After several minutes, a silent alarm was tripped. The three of them managed to make a hasty getaway with their new clothes before anyone arrived. With their new attire secured, Ganondorf and Wario could now freely walk the streets. Bowser, however, was still sneaking through alleys and side streets, always keeping the other two in his line of sight.

Wario had decided on a plain white shirt with denim pants and a black leather jacket, the edges of his jacket bristling with tufts of unidentifiable black fur. The others considered it hideous and disgusting, but Wario loved it. He was constantly inhaling while he walked, high off the new jacket smell.

In contrast, Ganondorf had decided on a two-piece brown leather suit with a black shirt on the inside. He was extremely uncomfortable inside it, as not even the extra large size clothes were enough to fit his massive frame. He had also removed the confining instrument on his head, allowing his orange hair to spill down his shoulders.

"My contempt for this world grows more by the second," Ganondorf said, yanking furiously at his collar again. "Why are all these garments so ridiculously small? Are the people of this planet so weak that not one man has honed his body to perfection the way I have? Absolutely pathetic."

"Well, ya gotta remember who you're comparin' these guys to," Wario cautioned. "After all, ya were de only man born to yer tribe in a hundred years! Ya had some expectations to live up to, I'll bet. An' from what I've heard about yer life, ya certainly delivered. I'm surprised Gerudo women weren't fallin' over der feet trying to claim ya!"

Ganondorf smiled. "Well, I must admit I did have my share of admirers back in my youth. But the Gerudo had higher priorities than mere carnal satisfaction. We were a mighty race, brimming with strength and determination. We would have been unstoppable if the goddesses had not cursed us so. Imagine a Gerudo society with hundreds of men like myself!"

"I'm imaginin' it, all right," Wario grumbled. "An' it's makin' me feel pretty jealous. Not _all_ of us can have the body of a god, ya know."

Turning a corner, Ganondorf almost bumped into a woman going the other way. The woman ricocheted off him, stumbling back and grabbing a mailbox for support."Hey, watch where...you're... going..." she trailed off, staring up at the massive man before her.

"I apologize," Ganondorf said smoothly. "It was my fault entirely. And your name is?..."

"C-Cassie," the woman stuttered, her eyes going up and down his body. _Damn, this guy's really __**ripped**_**, **she thought to herself.

"A pleasure to meet you, Cassie," Ganondorf replied, taking her hand in his and giving it a small shake. "My name is Ganondorf. The man beside me is Wario."

" 'Sup," Wario greeted.

Cassie ignored him, still fixatedly staring at Ganondorf. "Are you a bodybuilder?" she asked. " 'Cause if you're not, you're the most toned guy I have _ever_ seen in my life."

"You flatter me," Ganondorf said graciously, having no idea what she was talking about. "I am merely a man who enjoys the use of a body at its physical prime."

"Oh," Cassie said, nonplussed at his unusual answer. "Are you two motorcyclists, then? You certainly seem appropriately dressed."

"I believe Wario is, but I myself have never ridden one," Ganondorf explained. "I am relatively new to this land, you see. Where I come from, the concept of motorcycles in completely foreign to us. I am interested in learning about them, though. They seem to be quite interesting machines."

"Well, if you want to learn, my sister's boyfriend is in a biker club," Cassie offered. "I bet he could teach you how to ride."

Ganondorf's eyes gleamed. "A 'biker club', you say? Lead on."

* * *

"Let us watch well our beginnings, and results will manage themselves."

-Alexander Clark

* * *

U92: This chapter was one for the Zelda fangirls. Don't understand? Let me spell it out for you:

Imagine Ganondorf, a guy built like a Greek god...dressed in brown leather...that's just a_ little _too tight for him...

You're welcome.

Sue2: Heh. I _wonder_ where this is going. ^.^ Please review. It makes us both very, very happy. And I hope you enjoyed this!

Happy holidays from the both of us!

REVIEW!


	6. Waking Hours

U92: Happy New Year everyone, and welcome back to New World!

This chapter marks the official return of two rather famous characters from Unity. Thought you'd seen the last of Sael and Elyan? You're dead wrong!

Sue2: Honestly, how do people come up with witty things to say in these? I am BAD at ANs. So I'm going to say three things, all of which you probably expect. 1: we own nothing. 2: visit the Smash Mind Forum. 3: ENJOY!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Five-

_Waking Hours_

* * *

The girl doodled idly on the paper, random coloured lines spiralling across the page. She drew an oval, pointed it slightly at one end to make a chin. She added laughing eyes and a gentle smile. Shaggy, light hair came into view, and she coloured the eyes green. Then she sighed. Him again. How he had looked when she had seen him last.

She didn't blame him, really. She couldn't have held on any better. But she missed him so much it hurt. _Where are you?_ She was sure he was somewhere here - just out of her sight.

Someone breezed in, looking around her room. "Jessica," she said.

She didn't move. Then she remembered that Jessica meant her, not the girl made of memories who truly had that name. "Yes?"

The woman came closer, resting a hand on the girl's back. "Sweetheart, it's time for your appointment. Nothing's changed?"

"No," the girl said.

"No, who?"

Oh, right. This woman was the stepmother that Jess had told her about. "No, mom."

"Come on. Let's get some shoes on."

Sael looked down at the picture in her hand.

* * *

Elyan looked up from his book. Reading was the only thing there seemed to be to do in Alicia's little house. His sister was very kind... letting him stay, supporting him while he searched for his memories, trying to find Sael for him. But while she went to work every day, Elyan was left at her house.

A key turned in the door. Elyan got to his feet and moved towards the doorway. A moment later, Alicia walked in. She was half-carrying someone unconscious, with the help of another, and a third person was following her.

Elyan looked closer at the man who Alicia was helping. He was limp, eyes closed, clearly unconscious. But so familiar...

He shouted with joy. "Link!" then he looked at the other two. "And you're Samus! And... Mario, right?"

The other two nodded, clearly confused.

"I'm Elyan!" he said.

Samus gasped. "Of course!"

Alicia looked around, delighted surprise on her face. "Jer!" he said. "You know these three?"

Elyan nodded. "They're from the world I was in. They're good people."

Alicia hugged her brother tight. "Thank goodness!" she said. "Maybe they can help!" Then she let go, and turned back to Samus, who was now supporting Link on her own. "In here." she led Samus into the back room, where there was a soft, overstuffed chair, two footstools, and a couch. She helped lie Link down on the couch, then closed the blinds. With the whack he took, he'd probably have a headache, Elyan assumed. "I take it you're hungry," Alicia said to the other two.

They nodded hard.

Alicia laughed. "Alright then. Dinner-for-an-army it is! Jer, you stay here and catch up with your friends. I can handle this."

Elyan smiled at the now very cheerful Alicia. "Thanks," he said. He waved a hand towards the chair. "Please, sit down."

* * *

Samus watched as Mario quickly took the stool, leaving her with the overstuffed chair. She looked at him quizzically. "Chivalry, Mario?" she asked quietly.

Mario shrugged. "It's-a been burned into my-a brain by Toadsworth."

Samus thought back to her conversations with Peach, and remembered her tales of the stuffy old toad. Seemed just like him to do something like that.

Elyan looked eagerly at the two of them as he sat down on the other stool. "How... how did it all end? I wasn't there to see. Did everyone get home safely?"

Samus looked around for a moment, expecting Sael to appear, but she didn't. With a mental shrug - she'd ask later - she answered Elyan's question. "We ran into a snowstorm on the way. Zelda says it was the Crazy Hand's magic as it escaped the confines of its form that caused the snowstorm."

Elyan looked concerned. "Nana lost her parka during the battle. Was she alright?"

"She became ill," Samus said. "But she's better now, don't worry."

Elyan smiled, and Samus remembered how fond he'd become of Nana. He proved that one again by asking how she was.

"She's fine," Samus said. "She's been working with Popo on their fighting style, and they're almost impossible to defeat now. You have to be watching both of them, all the time, or one of them will get you from behind, from the side, or from above. She's been helping ROB and me in the lab, too. She's having a blast."

Elyan smiled again. "I'm glad," he said. "How about Marth and Roy?"

"Marth's running the stadium now," Samus said.

"He's-a doing a great job," Mario put in.

Samus nodded. "He is. He's changed the place a lot - made a million little improvements, turned the place into somewhere where no one gets hurt. There's a lab now, and a library, and a billion rooms where anyone is welcome to stay, for however long they want. Roy's gone to Melodia to train as a Bard, but he comes back a lot, whether to train, or to play. The sounds he can get out of his trumpet now are amazing."

Mario nodded in agreement. Then, he looked around. "Where is-a Sael? I'd-a expect to see her with you."

Elyan looked down, the joy at hearing news of his friends disappearing. "I... I don't know," he said. "Remember how we were holding onto each other? Whatever force was taking us home was also pulling us apart." He closed his eyes. "I couldn't keep a hold of her. I let her be pulled away... I haven't seen her since."

"I'm sorry..." Samus said softly. Elyan opened his eyes again.

"It's not your fault," Elyan said. A small smile reappeared on his face. "And Alicia's doing everything she can to find her. She's amazing. I'm a really lucky guy."

"She's your sister?" Samus asked, looking from Elyan to Alicia. They certainly looked enough like it.

Elyan nodded. "My twin. She was with me at the hospital when I woke up. I don't remember anything before I awoke in your world, but she says that I was an intern with a doctor... Devlin, I think, and that I helped with a test on his gate. Apparently something went wrong, and I went into a coma, from which I only woke up recently."

The smell of cooking pasta slowly invaded the room. Mario looked up eagerly.

Elyan grinned. "I take it you like spaghetti."

Samus laughed outright. "Him? Of _course_ not. Just because he probably talks about it in his _sleep_, what indication is that?"

"Well, it'll be ready in a few minutes," called Alicia.

Samus heard a quiet moan. She looked over to see Link stirring slightly.

"What...?" he muttered, bringing a hand to his head.

"Link?" Samus asked.

Link opened his eyes slowly. "Samus?"

Samus smiled. "You feeling okay? You fainted."

Link rubbed at his head with his palm. "I have a headache..." he said. "I don't think I've ever had a headache before... my magic always cured it."

"You used it all up," Samus said. "You kept yourself upright for a very, very long time, and woke me up to boot. I'd say you've taxed your magic quite a bit."

Link grimaced. "Zel's gonna kill me. She always warned me..." his stomach grumbled. "Oh."

Samus laughed. "Think you can walk? There's food in the kitchen."

Link sat up slowly, looked around. "So... where are we?"

"My house," Alicia called in from the kitchen.

Link looked into the kitchen. "My name's Link. And yours?"

"Alicia," Alicia said.

Link looked around. His eyes landed on Elyan. "You're... do I know you?"

Elyan smiled. "You probably do. My name's Elyan."

"Oh," Link said. "Right. Elyan. You were with Roy's friend, right? You helped us find the Master Hand."

Elyan nodded. "That's right," he said.

"Food is ready!" Alicia called. "Come on in!"

Samus and Mario helped Link to stand. He took a second to regain his balance, then walked with the other two into the kitchen.

* * *

Alicia looked sideways at the three over her food. Samus, Link, and Mario were eating hungrily, scarfing down a huge plateful of pasta each.

She gathered her courage. "If... if you three are from Jeremy's old world... maybe..." she looked down at her plate. "Maybe you could try to help him get his memory back?" She smiled hopefully around at the others.

"I could try," Link said. "I might have used up my magic, but memories only need mindspeak to find."

"You'd do it?" Jeremy asked. "And... would I get to keep my new memories, too?"

Link nodded. "You'd have all of your memories." he paused eating to smile at Jeremy. "If... Sael's around, I could try to help her too."

Jeremy put a hand to his forehead. He did not say anything.

Samus shook her head at Link. _Don't ask,_ she mouthed.

Link nodded, and the rest of the meal was eaten in silence.

The three had finished their food. "I can try to find your memories now, if you like," Link said.

Jeremy nodded. "Please," he said.

Link walked to where Jeremy sat. He placed a hand on Jeremy's shoulder, closed his eyes. His face twisted itself into a look of intense concentration, and Jeremy became very still.

Suddenly, there was a flash of blinding light. Link's look of concentration became one of pain, and he was flung backwards. He went limp a second before he hit the wall, his eyes staying open.

At the same moment, Jeremy was flung in the other direction. His leg caught on the chair he had been sitting on, and he crashed to the floor instead of in the wall.

Alicia screamed and ran to Jeremy's side. "Jer!" she clutched his hand.

Samus and Mario were already crouched by Link, and he was assuring them he was absolutely fine. "The wall wasn't too hard. I wasn't hurt."

Jeremy opened his eyes. "I'm okay," he said. "Just a couple of bruises."

Link got to his feet, rubbing a shoulder with one hand. "You have a seal on those memories," he said. "There's a trigger to it, but I can't tell what it is. Someone very powerful sealed your memories."

Jeremy grimaced. "IO, probably," he said. "Or Crazy Hand."

"I'm sorry," said Link. "Someone more powerful psychically, maybe Zel or Mewtwo, might be able to tell you the trigger, but there's nothing I can do. I'm not too experienced at this sort of thing."

Jeremy smiled slightly. "That's okay. I'll keep working on it. Do you need a place to sleep?"

The three looked at each other. They all looked completely exhausted. "That," Samus said, "would be wonderful."

A beep sounded from another room. "Oh!" Alicia said. "My scan is done. Jer, could you set up beds for them?"

"Sure," Jeremy said with a smile. "Follow me."

As Jeremy set up beds for the three, Alicia checked her search. She swore under her breath. The only 'Sael' the Internet had _any_ records for _whatsoever_ was an anime character! Why did the world have to make making her brother happy so _difficult_!

The flash that had come from where Link's hand met Jeremy's shoulder had left dark spots in her vision that made it harder to read the screen.

Wait. Something about the flash bothered her. Why was it such a problem again?

Alicia rubbed her temples. "I need an Aspirin." She headed into the kitchen.

Jeremy had left the little room beside the kitchen. He smiled at his sister. "Why didn't you tell me life on earth got exiting too? I thought stuff like this only ever happened in their world!"

Alicia groaned, laughed as she hugged her brother. "Jer, you're unbelievable."

* * *

The Pulsar Club was alive.

Thudding dance beats blasted at full volume, drowning out all other noise. The floor was jam packed with people, jumping and swaying to the beat. Multicolored strobe lights flashed, illuminating the darkened club. Sam Mayberry was horribly out of place here, wearing a black jacket and pants rather than the skimpy, brightly colored clothing most clubbers had on, and grimly pushing his way through the crowd rather than dancing. He received more than a few glares from bumped or pushed clubbers, but gave them no mind. Mayberry had more important things on his mind, namely, what was inside the file he was carrying with him.

He squeezed out of the throng of people, moving further into the club. Mayberry's gaze swept past the bar and adjacent tables, and came to rest on a double door with two burly guards on either side of it. He made his way towards the door, adjusting his grip on the file as he went.

One of the guards stopped Mayberry as he was about to go through the door, shaking his head and pointing to an _Employees Only_ sign to his right.

"I'm here to see Zeke!" Mayberry tried to shout over the music.

The guard cupped a hand around his ear, gesturing to Mayberry to speak up.

"ZEKE!" Mayberry yelled at the top of his lungs.

After a moment, the guard nodded in understanding, moving aside to let Mayberry through.

Mayberry pushed through the doors, finding himself in a bare, white hallway. He strode forward, heading straight for a door at the end of the hall. Behind him, the pulsating dance beats could still faintly be heard.

Opening the door at the end, Mayberry found himself facing an ornately designed office, filled with valuable-looking antiques. The back of a large swivel chair was visible behind a desk, its occupant completely hidden from his view. The occupant in question was talking very loudly at the moment.

"All right, listen. I know you need help selling your…_merchandise_, shall we call it that. But I can't sell anything like _that _stuff, get me? Drugs are a big no-no for my employers." Furious buzzing from behind the chair. "You gotta understand, Mr. Vizzini-" More buzzing. "I'm sorry, _Don_ Vizzini. My mistake. Just promoted, huh? Congrats. Remind me to send a card. I still can't sell your weed, though." Buzzing. "Sorry, Don. I'm afraid my decision is final. Call me back when you've got something a little less illegal for me to sell."

The chair spun around, revealing a man in a blue Italian suit and sunglasses snapping shut a cell phone. He sighed, running a hand through slicked-back brown hair. "Mafia dons. They're all the same. So, how can I help you?"

"Hello, Zeke," Mayberry said evenly.

The man leaned forward, lowering his sunglasses to stare at the man in front of him. "Sam Mayberry, you old S.O.B!" he exclaimed happily, jumping to his feet and furiously pumping Mayberry's hand. "Too long, man, it's been too long! How's the wife?"

"Still insane," Mayberry replied. "Yours?"

"Still dead," Zeke said offhandedly, grinning. "But something tells me you might have already known that, having been at her funeral and all."

The corners of Mayberry's mouth twitched. "Perhaps."

Chuckling, Zeke sat back down, resting his elbows on the desk and interlacing his fingers together. "Now, I know you never just come around to listen to me, as enrapturing as that experience may be. What's up?"

Any trace of ease in Mayberry's manner vanished instantly. "I need some information for an important case," he said briskly, straightening up. "You're my best informant; I figured if anyone could help me, it would be you."

"I'm flattered, Sam," Zeke said, looking touched. "To be the go-to guy for a great gumshoe like yourself...it's an honor, really. What kind of info do you need?"

Mayberry tossed the file onto the desk, scattering several papers. "Read that."

Zeke opened the file, placing it flat upon his desk and examining the contents. Blurry black-and-white photographs of Mario, Link, Samus, Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario lay among documentation on the gate, information on Devlin, and a series of recent police reports.

"My God…" Zeke breathed, peering close at one of the papers. "Is that the NSA seal? Just how big is this case?"

"National security big," Mayberry answered immediately. "If-I-tell-you-too-much-I'll-have-to-kill-you big. Potential-time-bomb big. The NSA gave me strict instructions to involve as little people as possible and use only professionals to help me on the case. We can't afford any mistakes."

Zeke swallowed hard. "Jeez, Sam," he said weakly. "I'm not sure whether to be excited or scared."

"I feel like that a lot," Mayberry said dryly. "Most of the time I choose scared."

Zeke rolled his eyes. "I can believe it. So what is this big, top secret case? You have to tell me _something_ if you want my help."

"No one is really sure of the specifics. The pictures are of six fugitives suspected of sabotaging a secret government project located in the Petrelli Institute. Institute cameras captured them fleeing the scene. They split into two groups and headed further into the city, escaping pursuit and getting past a police roadblock. My job is to find them, gather whatever information I can on who they are and what they work for, and to assist in their capture," Mayberry finished.

Zeke whistled. "Wow. Tall order. What did these guys sabotage to get the top brass so mad at them?"

Mayberry pulled out a large color photograph from inside the stack of papers, handing it to Zeke. It showed the gate, riddled with several bullet holes and smoking slightly.

Zeke took the photo, looking it over. "Don't know what the heck this thing is, but those guys definitely did a number on it. You allowed to tell me what I'm lookin' at?"

Mayberry moved to say something, then stopped, sighing and rubbing his head. "This doesn't leave this room, okay?"

"Won't tell a soul," Zeke promised, pretending to zip his lips shut.

Mayberry stepped closer to Zeke's desk, leaning in and lowering his voice. "Have you ever heard of Project R.E.D.?"

"Sam, you know I don't know nothin' about secret government projects," Zeke said in a similarly lowered voice, shrugging. "I never get information _that_ hot around here."

"It stands for Research of External Dimensions," Mayberry explained. "R.E.D. is a secret government project designed to examine and explore universes beyond our own, to see what use they could bring to humanity. Project R.E.D. uses numerous scientists across the nation in its experiments, all sworn to secrecy by the government. One of the scientists, Dr. Dean Devlin, created the machine that was sabotaged. He's been the target of attempted sabotage in the past, even almost getting kidnapped by some ex-KGB agents once. Long story. This act of sabotage has been the most successful so far, completely disabling his prototype dimensional gate. That prototype alone cost several million to create, and crippling it has greatly set back the project. I've heard rumors that Devlin might be fired because of this fiasco. The NSA wants someone to be held responsible for this. My assignment is to track down the saboteurs, find out who they're working for, and assist in their capture."

Zeke leaned back in his chair, absorbing what Mayberry had told him. "Huh. You know, considering how 'top secret' all this is supposed to be, _you_ seem to know quite a lot about it."

"I have a bit of a history with Project R.E.D.," Mayberry said darkly, turning away. "I know a lot more than I ever wanted to."

"Ah," Zeke said, nodding his head in understanding. "Don't want to talk about it. Gotcha."

"Glad you understand. There's one other thing about this case, Zeke," Mayberry continued, changing the subject. "Something doesn't add up. You see how the gate was sabotaged by being shot multiple times?"

"Yeah," Zeke said, his gaze flicking from Mayberry to the picture of the gate, and back again. "What of it?"

"I've looked over reports from several eyewitnesses who saw the saboteurs escape. _Not one witness remembers any of them holding a gun._ They were completely unarmed, so they couldn't have shot anything. And these were apparently the weirdest-looking agents I've ever heard of. Listen to this." Mayberry pulled out a sheet from inside the pile and began reading aloud. "The witnesses say they saw an older guy in a red shirt and blue overalls, a young guy in a green tunic, a guy in some sort of orange space suit, another older guy in a yellow shirt and purple overalls, a Middle Eastern guy in a ceremonial robe, and – you're never going to believe this – some kind of giant pet lizard."

Zeke snorted. "What is this, the circus? What kind of industrial saboteurs are those?"

"Exactly what I thought," Mayberry agreed. "When I asked the higher-ups about all this, they wouldn't give me any information other than what I already had. I think they're either hiding something or this whole matter isn't something they can comprehend. I'm getting really uneasy about all this, and I need answers before something else happens. Think you can help?"

"Well, I'll try," Zeke replied. "but I dunno how much I can find. This sounds big. Big stuff tends to have lots of people who _really _don't like other people learning about it, if you know what I mean."

"Can you find anything, though?" Mayberry pressed.

"If it was anybody else asking, I'd say no," Zeke answered, looking thoughtfully at Mayberry over his sunglasses. "But for you, Sam, I'll do it. A guy doesn't get many friends in my line of work. Consider it done."

"Thank you, Zeke," Mayberry said, relaxing slightly. "I can assure you that you'll be adequately compensated for your efforts."

"Yeah, yeah," Zeke said good-naturedly, waving Mayberry away with one hand. "Save the compensation for when I've got men shooting at me. That _always_ tends to happen when I'm on assignment."

Mayberry turned to leave. "Contact me when you've found anything. You know how to reach me."

"Wait, Sam," Zeke called out, stopping Mayberry with his hand on the door. "All this talk about government projects and external dimensions – it sounds kinda…ominous. Do you have any idea exactly how far this thing could go? Are we in any danger?"

Mayberry turned back and looked at him, in deep thought. "Worst case scenario," he said finally, "we could all die."

Then he was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

Zeke stared after him, his mouth slightly open in shock. "Right," he muttered to himself. "No pressure."

* * *

"One more time. I swear I _will_ tame this steed," Ganondorf vowed, straddling a motorcycle.

He was balanced rather precariously on the seat, with various limbs awkwardly sticking out. Ganondorf's massive frame seemed to be too much for the bike, which looked like it would collapse at any minute under his weight. Both tires seemed to be deflating, while several gears and motors looked on the verge of falling out. It was quite a ludicrous spectacle.

The man instructing him, one Jack Reese, sighed and shook his head. "Go ahead."

Carefully gunning the throttle, Ganondorf lurched the bike forward. He wobbled forward for a little bit, then overbalanced and fell over.

Reese leaned over to Cassie, who was watching Ganondorf alongside him. "_Why _am I trying to teach these two again?"

"I told you, they're two nice immigrants who just want to learn how to ride a motorcycle," Cassie murmured impatiently, shooting Reese a look. "Are you going to help them or not?"

"That one looks like he's doing fine on his own," Reese replied, pointing. Wario was happily riding in circles around the parking lot they were in.

"Well, the other one does need your help," Cassie shot back, bringing his attention back to Ganondorf, who was angrily pushing the bike off himself.

Reese sighed again, walking towards Ganondorf while throwing his hands in the air. "Fine, fine. I'll go help."

Ganondorf leapt to his feet, furious. "That machine is far too small for me," he declared, stabbing a finger accusingly at the bike on the ground. "I look like a fool atop of it. I need a larger one."

"Well, I suppose you're right," Reese remarked, looking at the sagging bike. "I'm surprised that one's still intact, really. Tell you what. We gave one of the guys in the club this really huge bike as a gag birthday gift. Way too big for him, fell over the first time he tried to ride it. As far as I know, he stowed it in his garage and hasn't even touched it since then. Think you're up to trying it out?"

"Indeed," Ganondorf affirmed, giving a nod.

Reese looked at Ganondorf strangely for a second, then pulled out a cell phone and began dialing.

* * *

Half an hour later, a pickup truck pulled into the parking lot. A long-haired blond man jumped out, coming over and giving Reese an affectionate slap on the shoulder. "Hey, Jack. What'd you want that overgrown bike of mine for?"

"Hi, Ben. It's a long story. See, I'm teaching this guy how to ride," Reese explained. "Only this guy's friggin' enormous, so my bikes are all too small for him. I figured your bike would fit him."

"Well, let's wheel it out, then," Ben said without hesitation.

Working together, Reese and Ben carefully wheeled out a large bike covered with a blanket, moving it down a ramp extending from the back of the truck to the ground.

Ganondorf watched, fascinated despite himself. Wario had come to a stop awhile ago, staring at the working men. Even Bowser, hiding in a group of bushes near the parking lot, was intently watching the spectacle before him.

With a dramatic flourish, Ben whipped off the blanket to reveal the bike. It was, as they had described it, huge. Bristling with engines and gears, with handlebars extending an arm's length from the bike itself, and painted in black with red streaks.

Ganondorf slung a leg over the bike, tentatively trying the handlebars and pedals. A slow smile spread over his face as he got comfortable. "Yes. _Yes…_This feels much better. Now, let us see how it handles!"

With a loud roar, the bike started up. Ganondorf gunned the motor, riding away at high speed and going in wide loops all over the parking lot. Abruptly swerving around, he rode back the way he came, popping a wheelie in the process. Throughout it all, the smile on his face grew bigger and bigger.

"Lucky jerk," Bowser growled softly from inside the bushes.

Ganondorf finally came to a stop back near the truck, panting and perspiring slightly. "That…was…magnificent," he breathed, grinning. "I can…see why…these machines…are so…popular here."

Reese and Ben were both openly gaping. "That was amazing!" Reese declared. "I've never _seen_ someone ride like that!"

"Damn straight!" Ben agreed reverently. "You should join the club!"

"Really?" Ganondorf asked, intrigued. He sat up further on the bike. "Are my skills really that exemplary?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ben confirmed. "We could take lessons from _you_! You're _fantastic_!"

"Do you want to join?" Reese offered. "We'd love having you around. Your friend could come too."

"Really?" Wario piped up eagerly. "I'd love ta!"

"We graciously accept your offer," Ganondorf said smoothly. "How soon can we officially join your group?"

"Well, let me think…" Ben paused, scratching his chin. "Our next meeting is tonight. Want to come along?"

"Of course," Ganondorf answered. "We shall stay here and practice. You can return for us here."

"Okay, great," Reese said, smiling. "See you tonight, then."

As the two men turned to leave, Ganondorf turned and gave a wink to the hidden Bowser. _Follow us when we go with them,_ he mouthed, pointing down the road.

Bowser nodded in understanding.

* * *

"It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people. The good ones slept better... while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more."

-Woody Allen

* * *

U92: I like writing for Zeke. He's like the personification of my witty/smart-alecky side.

Why do all my sections with Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario always end up as comedy bits? I really don't understand it.

It's coming to an end soon enough, though. Next time you seen them, they're going to be full-on villains. The biker club won't know what hit it.

Sue2: Elyan's last line was fun. ^.^

REVIEW please! -begs on knees-


	7. The Impartial Night

U92: It's almost 10:30 and I'm dead tired. We don't _have_ to stay up late working on this, but you all are just worth it.

A fan on the Smash Mind Forum requested to see more of the other Smashers, so we obliged. If you have any requests or questions of your own, just visit the forum and make your voice heard!

Warning: Some violent material near the end.

Sue2: Hi there everyone! How's life? Please reivew...

Teehee. This should be fun. In my section, you realize the good guys don't actually sleep better at night - especially not when they have nosy neighbours living next door.

Let's go!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Six-

_The Impartial Night_

* * *

It was nearly one AM, but Sophie Macintyre couldn't sleep. She was still wondering.

What was that light that had come from Alicia Peri's house? She had her twin brother staying with her, Sophie knew. But why the flash? Why the scream? And Sophie had seen her ushering three people into her house at around four thirty that afternoon. Then, about half an hour later, had come the scream.

She heard a car driving by, stopping. There was a pause, then a knock on her door.

Who would be knocking on her door at one AM? Sophie got to her feet and went to the door. Sophie's boyfriend was standing at the door - a young policeman named Brendan.

Sophie raised her eyebrows with a flirtatious smile. "Well, look at my luck. I was lying alone, bored out of my mind, and a handsome man shows up at my door. Are you here on business, or just for the pleasure of my company?"

Brendan gave a slightly contrite smile. "Business, I'm afraid. I didn't want to wake anyone, and I knew you'd still be up."

Sophie gave a dramatic sigh, putting a hand to her heart. "Why don't you _ever_ come around just to talk?"

"Sorry, Soph. I can stay a while if you like, but I have to ask some questions first."

Sophie giggled, putting on a wide-eyed, innocent look. She loved this game. "What am I suspected for, officer? I can assure you, I have an alibi!"

Brendan laughed, hugged Sophie. "Nothing like that, Soph. I know very well you'll never wind up in a case file. I just need to know if you've seen anything odd in the neighbourhood."

Sophie thought back to what she had been wondering about. "Actually, I think you've arrived at just the right time. Come in."

* * *

Someone was shaking her shoulder. Alicia opened her eyes to see Jeremy sitting on the edge of her bed. For a moment her heart hammered in her chest, until she came to her senses. Her twin looked confused and startled. Something was wrong.

"S'matter, Jer?" Alicia muttered, sitting up.

There was a loud knock on the door. "That," Jeremy said. "They've been at it for five minutes."

Alicia got up and moved to her window that overlooked the front porch. Looking down, she saw a young man in a police uniform, along with her next-door-neighbour. "Sophie!" she groaned. "That was the problem." Looking at her confused brother, Alicia continued. "Sophie Macintyre is the nosiest girl in the world, and her current boyfriend is a police officer. Get Link, Samus and Mario and take them out the back door. Hide them... somewhere! I don't know. But get them far away from the house."

Jeremy nodded. "Alicia, are these people looking for them?"

"Probably," Alicia said. "Go! And don't let anybody see you."

Jeremy nodded and crept out of the room. Alicia got to her feet, put on a housecoat. She rubbed a hand through her normally tame hair, messing it up. Sophie may have been a drama queen, but she wasn't the only one who could act.

Alicia stumbled loudly down the stairs, trying to mask the noise of her brother's escape. She tripped for real, slid down a couple of stairs, and swore under her breath.

Putting on a bleary face, she opened the door. Sophie stood in her nightgown, slightly behind the man in the uniform.

Alicia rubbed her eyes, looking at them incredulously. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

The man's face gentled. "I'm sorry to wake you, miss..."

"Peri," Alicia said. "Alicia."

"Miss Peri," the police officer said. "but Sophie... er Miss Macintyre... has reported some strange goings-on at this house, and there are wanted criminals in the area. She says you brought three people into this house at about four o clock."

"That's right," Alicia said. "They're my twin brother's friends - he's staying with me for a while. They left hours ago."

"I never saw them leave," Sophie cut in.

Alicia turned a tired face to Sophie. "You do go to the bathroom, right?"

"May I speak to your bother?"

Alicia thought fast. "Sorry," she said. "He left with them... I think he said he was going out to dinner."

"And he hasn't come home yet?" the officer looked doubtful.

"Well," Alicia shrugged, "There was a girl with them. She probably invited him over afterwards." Alicia was too tired to play the innuendo game with them, so she opted for the blunt approach. Maybe it'd scare them off. "What business is it of mine who he sleeps with? Now, if you don't mind, I have work tomorrow. May I go back to bed, please?"

"One more thing," the young man said. "Apparently there was a bright flash and a scream at around five o clock in your house."

Alicia had to think fast again. Stupid Sophie. Why couldn't she stay home and stop meddling in other people's lives? "Where did you hear that? Has Sophie been talking in her sleep?"

Sophie flushed.

"Thank you for your time." The man, slightly red-cheeked as well, turned around and left, Sophie chasing after him.

Alicia closed the door, cursing Sophie Macintyre and her police boyfriend. And Sophie would be watching them 24/7 now, desperate to redeem herself in her boyfriend's eyes.

* * *

The four crept along a back road.

"What's going on?" Samus whispered to Elyan.

"My sister said to take you three and hide," he said. "The police are after you."

"Great," Samus said. "Just great. What do we do now?"

"Alicia said to hide. She didn't say what else we should do. I guess we'll hide and then find a way to call her." he looked around. The moonlight shone off of something glittering on the ground. Elyan ran over and picked it up. He smiled. "A quarter. Alicia said that's what you put in payphones." He put the quarter in his pocket.

Link put his head to one side. "So people drop money on the ground here, too?"

Mario laughed. "People will-a drop money on the ground in-a every world."

"My suit," said Samus, looking startled. "What if the police search her house?"

"I hid it in the cupboard," Link said.

Samus smiled. "Nice foresight."

Link shrugged. "I'm used to trying to leave no trace that I've been in a place."

"Aha!" Elyan said. "Look. It's a payphone."

"Elyan, I _really_ don't think..." Samus was cut off as Elyan attempted to insert his quarter into the 'payphone'. "Elyan, this is a back alley. If you would just stop and _look_..." But Elyan ignored her.

"Where's the slot..." he said. The coin fell in and clinked. Elyan lifted the phone. "Now there should be a tone... but there's nothing. Is it broken?"

Samus was shaking with laughter. "Elyan, I've never seen a payphone before, but I have seen an old phone sitting on top of a garbage can."

Elyan looked at his 'payphone'. He burst out laughing, and clapped a hand over his mouth before he could wake anyone.

Link and Mario joined in. They couldn't help it.

A half an hour later, Elyan was inserting a now rather smelly quarter into a _real_ payphone. He closed his eyes a moment. "Alicia told me to call this number if I ever needed help." he opened his eyes, dialled and waited.

"Hello? Alicia? It's me." Elyan listened for a moment. "She says they're gone. Should we come back? No?" he listened a little bit longer. "Alicia says she'll come pick us up - the house is being watched by the next-door neighbour. Where are we?" he looked around. "I'm not sure."

"Look at this," Link said, pointing.

"We're just outside a Community Centre," Samus said, "according to the sign."

"We're just outside a community centre..." Elyan paused, listened, and looked around. "No, it doesn't have a swing set in the front. Okay." He hung up. "Alicia says she's coming to get us."

* * *

Alicia looked, startled, at her radio. The oddest songs came on over the radio at one in the morning. This one wasn't even in English. _Probably dance music,_ she thought. _After all, the only people who'd be up right about now, besides us, are clubbers._ She grinned, wondering how you could possibly dance to something like that.

Soon, she reached the community centre. Jeremy, Samus, Link, and Mario were standing outside of it.

She unlocked the doors and motioned for them to get in.

Link looked around the interior of the car, clearly confused.

"Think of it as a racer, only slower and with more room," Samus supplied quickly. "Like in the Big Blue race stage."

Jeremy was staring at the radio, transfixed. "What is that coming out of the radio?"

Alicia giggled. "That's what passes for music at one in the morning."

Jeremy grinned tiredly. "You mean there are sane people who are still up to listen to this?"

Alicia nodded. "Not exactly. People yes, sane, not so much. They're called clubbers. They pack themselves into loud, smelly rooms, drink alcohol, and dance to stuff like this."

The car was silent as everyone took a moment to digest that piece of information. Then Alicia put her hands back on the wheel and began the drive back home.

* * *

-World: Smash World-

Zelda stared at the ceiling. He was gone. She could handle being apart from him, but having their heart-bond severed was like having her heart forcibly ripped out of her body.

Her heart! She sat bolt upright. Perhaps with all of that magic, she'd be able to reach him! Even… even bridge the gap and bring them home!

She closed her eyes and called up her magic. It sparkled around her, an inferno of power unlike anything she could produce without severe emotional stress.

Almost there! _Link!_ She screamed his name in her mind.

But as her magic travelled, it began to grow weak, battered by space. Still she pressed on. _Link!_

She had him! Just barely. He was sleeping. But she had him!

He'd used up all of his magic… his hungry heart latched onto hers, drawing her strength. She gave him some – he'd need it. Link, unaware in his sleep, continued to draw on her stores. Still, Zelda held on. _Link! Link! _She mindcalled, trying to wake her sleeping husband up. But still he slept, not hearing her faint voice.

She began to feel dizzy, held her head in one hand. Grey danced at the edge of her vision.

Suddenly, there was a massive power around hers. It cut her off from Link's heart, filled her with its own energy. She struggled, but the psychic power that whoever it was had was vastly more powerful than her own.

Mewtwo's voice sounded in her head. _Zelda! Stop! If you keep this up, you're going to die! Link doesn't know the damage he's doing to you, but if he knew, it would kill him! _Suddenly, he was behind her, paws on her shoulders. _Please. Stop._

"I had him," Zelda said.

_I know, _Mewtwo said. _I felt it. You had him… but you wouldn't have been able to hold it._

Zelda's vision cleared. She turned to Mewtwo. "I'm sorry. You're right. I was being a fool."

_Not in the least, _Mewtwo said. _It was a good idea. You just went about it a little too hastily._

Zelda looked at Mewtwo quizzically. "You've got a lot more power than you let on. I can tell. Why didn't you use it for other things? You could have done a lot with it."

_I have limitations on this power now, _Mewtwo said. _I put them on myself when my own psychic strength was used to hurt those I love. The power you felt, I can only use to protect. Your life was in danger. That let me access my power._

Zelda nodded. "Makes sense," she said. "… thank you. You saved my life."

_It's not a problem. _The mental version of a smile. _I think… if you can do that again, this time aided by the gate, perhaps we might be able to reach them. I'll present that idea to ROB._

Zelda nodded and got to her feet. Her legs shook slightly, but she regained her strength in a second. "I'm going down to have something to eat."

_Good plan, _Mewtwo said. _I will go and assure Jigglypuff that the world is not coming to an end, and no one is dead. My sudden departure worried her greatly._

Zelda laughed slightly. "Do you know where Peach is?"

Mewtwo paused for a moment. _In the kitchen,_ he said. _Are you surprised?_

"Not really," Zelda said. She got up and made to leave. "Thanks, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo nodded and disappeared.

Zelda walked down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. Peach was bustling around, reorganizing things. The warm smell of melting chocolate came out of the oven.

Peach turned and smiled slightly at Zelda. "Hey, Zelda," she said, running over to the oven. She looked inside, smiled at what she saw. Then she gestured to a bowl, filled with a whitish, slightly gooey looking substance. "Can you stir the icing?"

"Sure," Zelda said, picking up bowl and spoon. "What are you making now?" Peach had been cooking up a storm the past two days. The people currently living at Smash Mansion were treated to delicious, varied meals. And when she wasn't making meals, she was cooking something else. She produced so many sugary treats that Nana, Popo, Ness, Young Link, and Kirby were now banned from the kitchen.

"A volcano cake," Peach said. "It's going to be chocolate cake on the outside and melted chocolate on the inside."

"Where do you get all this chocolate?" Zelda asked.

"Where we get the rest of our food. ROB synthesizes it with a machine he, Sael, and Elyan salvaged."

Zelda nodded. That made sense. Then she looked at Peach. "You're certainly busy."

Peach sighed. "Yeah," she said.

"Are you okay? Really?" Zelda asked.

Peach shrugged, the slight smile disappearing. "I'll be fine." Unspoken words hovered between them, written all over Peach's face. _The man I love and my two best friends are a million miles away and probably in danger. Do you expect me to be okay?_

Zelda sighed. _Yeah, I know._

"I think the cake's ready," Peach said. "help me take it out?"

Zelda smiled, wrapping her hands in a thin layer of heat-resistant magic. "Sure," she said.

The two pulled the heavy cake out of the oven, carrying it across the kitchen. Suddenly, Peach, who was protecting her hands with oven mitts, gasped and pulled away, shaking her burned hand to cool it. The platter tipped over, and the floor was covered with chocolate.

Peach looked down at the floor. Her shoulders started to shake. She put her head in her hands, and tears leaked through her fingers.

Zelda stepped around the cake, put her arms around the sobbing Peach. She felt tears in her own eyes. "Peach… It's okay. It's okay. They'll be fine."

The shorter woman buried her face in Zelda's shoulder, speaking through shuddering breaths. "Y- yeah."

"Peach, we'll find them. I promise," Zelda said. "We'll figure out a way."

Zelda could feel Peach nod. Zelda's heart was filled with sorrow as well, but she steeled herself, and looked at the floor. "We'll start working on it right away… as soon as we get this catastrophe cleaned up."

Peach laughed through her tears. She lifted her head and hugged Zelda. "Yeah," she said. "Thanks."

Zelda smiled, patting Peach on the back. "We'll get through this," she said. "For starters, let's see what we can do about this cake." She leaned down and picked up a piece, popped it in her mouth. She licked her lips. "That's good."

Peach laughed again, wiping her tears. Zelda smiled and headed towards the cupboard where the dustpan was kept.

* * *

-World: Earth-

Ben's truck pulled into the parking lot of the local bar, coming to a stop in a parking space. Ganondorf and Wario were right behind them, each parking his bike in their own space. The duo was looking over the outside of the bar when Reese and Ben climbed out of the truck, coming up alongside them.

Ben clapped a hand on Ganondorf's shoulder. "Well, here we are. What do you think?"

Ganondorf flinched slightly from the contact, but did not pull away. "It appears rather...small. You are sure this 'club' meets here?"

Reese laughed. "The place is bigger than it looks, believe me. We only come here because this bar is the only one around that allows bikers. It's always packed with guys."

"Now _dis_ is my kinda place!" Wario exclaimed happily, rubbing his hands together. "Booze, bikes, and maybe even some babes! I could _live_ here!"

Ganondorf scowled at Wario, smacking him on the back of the head. "I would advise you to maintain a dignified composure while we are here," he warned. "It is necessary for us to make a favourable first impression."

Wario glared at Ganondorf, rubbing his head where the man had hit him. "Okay, okay! Jeez, lighten _up_..."

The duo stepped into the bar with Reese and Ben, and was immediately blasted by a surge of noise. A jukebox in the corner had been jacked up to highest volume, playing loud rock music that seemed on the verge of wrecking its speakers. The bar's various patrons were all talking over the music, trying to drown out everything else to make their own conversations heard. The bar was swamped with male motorcyclists, awash in a sea of leather, facial hair, and beer.

"Quite da joint!" Wario shouted to Reese and Ben, attempting to make himself heard. "Great atmosphere!"

Reese rolled his eyes. "Let's get you guys a drink!" he yelled. "The noise isn't that bad once you've got some beer in you!"

He slid into the crowd and up to the bar, pulling the others with him. Setting them on a group of unattended bar stools next to him, Reese bellowed his order to the bartender. The man nodded, disappearing and reappearing almost instantly with four glasses of bright gold beer. Reese handed the man several bills and pushed the glasses down the bar to his companions.

Ben and Wario immediately grabbed their mugs and chugged down the beer, Wario draining his glass so quickly he looked to be inhaling the liquid instead of drinking it. Ganondorf stared at his mug for awhile with an unidentifiable expression, then cautiously took a small sip. He continued drinking his glass in this fashion, wearing an expression that suggested something particularly foul had been placed under his nose.

Reese leaned in, cradling his own glass. "Don't like beer?"

"I am used to more..._refined_ tasting mead," Ganondorf enunciated loudly. "This brew is too diluted for my taste."

Before Reese could respond, a scruffy-haired biker bounded up next to him and slugged him hard in the arm. "Hey, Jack!"

Reese whipped around in his seat, breaking into a smile when he saw who it was. "Max! How've you been, man?"

"Never better," Max grinned, leaning up against the side of the bar in a casual pose. "Who are your friends?"

Reese slid off his stool, moving aside to allow Max to see his companions. "These are a couple of guys I met this afternoon. They're interested in joining the club."

Ganondorf extended a hand, giving Max's hand a shake. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Ganondorf, and the man behind me is Wario."

Wario finished draining his glass, setting it down on the bar with a loud thwack. "Someone talkin' 'bout me?" he hiccupped.

"So, you two want to join up, huh?" Max asked interestedly. "How good are you two?"

"_I'll_ tell you how good they are," Ben interrupted loudly, pushing aside his mug and swivelling to face Max. "They're goddamn _professionals_, is how good they are. Best ridin' I've ever seen!" He slid off his barstool and began stumbling into the crowd.

"Oh, not again," Reese groaned, shaking his head.

"Is something the matter with him?" Ganondorf asked curiously. Ben was drunkenly pushing his way into the center of the crowd, repeatedly shouting the praises of Ganondorf and Wario's motorcycle skills. Most of the bar's patrons were slowly moving away from him, looking disgusted.

"I wouldn't say something's wrong with him. Ben just likes hard liquor, that's all. It hits him pretty fast," Reese explained. "I've lost count of how many times I've had to drag him out of here while he was halfway through some drunken monologue."

"Great riders! _Fantastic _riders!" Ben yelled at the top of his lungs, pacing in jerky, uncoordinated steps. "They're the best I've ever seen! No idea where they came from, but I like 'em anyway! Best riders in the world!"

As Ben continued to rant, the bar door suddenly swung open. A group of big, muscular bikers in jet-black leather and wearing sunglasses appeared in the doorway, frowning at the noise. The bar quieted to a low hush, all the patrons turning to look at the new arrivals. The jukebox was immediately turned off, making the silence seem deafening. Ben didn't seem to notice, still in the middle of his drunken monologue.

"Oh, God," Reese whispered, looking horrified. "The Dark Hogs. We need to get Ben out of here, now. Those guys will tear him apart."

The biggest of the men, an enormous biker with a faded leather jacket and long black dreadlocks, pushed to the front of the group and glared angrily across the bar. "What the hell is all this noise?" he growled. "I can't hear myself think in here."

He stepped directly into Ben's path, forcing him to come to a stop. Ben squinted up at the other man. "Oh, hello. Didn't see you there."

The other man grabbed Ben's collar, hoisting him up to eye level. "So who are these 'fantastic bikers' you're talking about?"

Ben gulped, pointing over at Ganondorf and Wario with a shaking hand. "Th-those g-guys."

The man roughly threw Ben to the side, sending him skidding into a group of chairs. He stalked up to Ganondorf, scowling at him. "So, you think you can ride, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Ganondorf promptly replied, sizing the other man up. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Damn straight I've got a problem," the man declared angrily. "This is _my_ neighborhood. The Dark Hogs rule these streets. If you step over the line, we punish you. If you defy us, we break you. I don't like outsiders, and they don't like me. So why are you, an _outsider_, here in _my_ bar?"

"I _was_ enjoying a drink," Ganondorf replied tartly. "At least, before you and your club arrived. No wonder men try to avoid you. Your smell is utterly abhorrent."

Several patrons gasped. The man leaned in sharply. "Do you _know_ who you're talking to?" he demanded. "I'm Bruno of the Dark Hogs. _Nobody_ insults me and walks away."

"How shall we settle this, then?" Ganondorf inquired, raising his eyebrows.

Bruno grinned, revealing several golden teeth. "The way a real biker does it. We're gonna play a game of chicken."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Reese asked nervously. "Bruno's like an animal on a bike. He might be more than you can handle."

"Yes, I am sure," Ganondorf sighed, annoyed. "I do not intend on letting that ruffian besmirch my honor."

He was seated on his bike in an empty stretch of the bar's parking lot. Bruno sat atop his own bike several yards away from him. The crowd from inside the bar had drawn outside to watch, clustering around the lot to watch the spectacle.

"Well, if you're sure," Reese said reluctantly, shifting from foot to foot. "Do you remember the rules of chicken?"

"You have explained it to me at least five times," Ganondorf said impatiently. "I am ready, I tell you."

Reese threw up his hands, walking away in defeat. "Fine. It's your funeral, I guess..."

"It is hardly _my_ funeral," Ganondorf muttered under his breath, smirking. He thumbed the switch, causing his bike to burst to life. Ganondorf revved up his motor, looking expectantly over at Bruno.

Bruno yanked hard on his throttle in response, letting the roar of his bike's gears cut through the night. "Last chance for you to back down," he called across the gap. "After this, I won't be holding anything back."

"Oh, I am ready," Ganondorf shouted back. "The question is, are you?"

Bruno bared his teeth in a snarl. "Enough of your attitude. Time to ride, outsider!"

Both men gunned the throttle, racing towards each other at top speed.

The crowd held their breath, not taking their eyes off the two for a second. Reese and Max watched anxiously from the sidelines, a half-conscious Ben propped up between them.

As they drew closer to each other, each man had the same questions running through their heads. Who would turn first? How soon would he turn? Should he himself turn?

Finding no answers, each man looked straight at the other, scanning his opponents' face for any sort clue.

Bruno looked straight into Ganondorf's eyes, seeing nothing but arrogance, pride and determination. The desire to win was evident, visible in the narrowing of his eyes and the grim line of his mouth. Hate was there as well, pure hatred for the man who had dared to challenge him. That was all he could see.

No fear.

No fear at all.

_He's not going to turn!_ Bruno realized, his eyes widening. _This outsider won't give up!_

Firmly yanking the handlebars to the right, Bruno swerved out of the way of the oncoming Ganondorf. He fishtailed out of control, spinning in circles before managing to come to a stop. Ganondorf blew past him a split second later, beginning to slow down as he realized Bruno had dodged.

No one in the crowd dared to move. The Dark Hogs were like emotionless marble statutes, all staring at their leader.

Ganondorf braked, turning the motor off and dismounting his bike in one fluid gesture. He turned and began to walk back over to Bruno, an expression of smug satisfaction on his face. "I presume I won."

"Who _are_ you?" Bruno breathed, still slightly in shock. "I've never seen anyone _that_ focused on a game of chicken. You didn't look like you were going to move at all."

"Of course not," Ganondorf replied, puzzled. "I would have lost the challenge if I had moved aside. I did not intend to lose."

"What if I didn't stop?" Bruno demanded, looking slightly peeved. "Would you have smashed into me?"

"If you did not have the good judgement to move, yes," Ganondorf answered.

"Are you crazy?" Bruno exclaimed. "A crash like that could have killed us both! Do you have a death wish, outsider?"

Ganondorf smiled. "We might have collided with each other, that is true. But I can easily survive something like that. I cannot say the same for you, though. You seem rather fragile for an authority figure."

Bruno jumped off his bike, springing to his feet with clenched fists. "_What did you say to me?_"

"I said, you seem very _fragile_," Ganondorf repeated slowly, enjoying himself. "There is barely any muscle on your frame. You rely on intimidation and bullying to enforce order, surrounding yourself with followers to protect yourself from harm. You have an unfounded and ignorant fear of outsiders, who you futilely attempt to drive away. I can't say I've ever seen a more pathetic leader in my life."

"_You're going to pay for that!_" Bruno roared, eyes wide with fury. He charged straight for Ganondorf, bellowing in rage.

"Ganondorf, watch out!" Reese yelled, looking horrified.

Ganondorf appeared unconcerned by Bruno's unexpected attack, merely raising an eyebrow at the enraged man. He waited until Bruno was within arm's reach, them nimbly stepped to the side at the last second, leaving Bruno swinging at empty air. Before he could attack again, Ganondorf planted a foot in Bruno's back and pushed hard, sending him sprawling on the ground.

Seething in rage, Bruno scrambled to his feet, throwing his sunglasses to the side as he charged again. Ganondorf swiftly dodged Bruno's swinging fist, countering with a savage blow to his stomach. Bruno let out a choked gasp, face contorting in pain as he clutched his midsection. Ganondorf punched Bruno across the face, causing him to fall to the ground again.

"What is he doing?" Reese choked out. "Bruno's an arrogant prick, but he doesn't deserve anything like this!"

"I know," Max muttered. "Ganondorf even looks he's having fun. Twisted bastard."

Ganondorf stood over the fallen Bruno, delivering a series of savage kicks to his face and chest. Bruno was crying out in pain, holding his hands up in an attempt to protect himself. It was all in vain, as Ganondorf's foot always found the one place he wasn't protecting. This continued for several minutes.

The crowd looked on in horror, no one brave enough to tell Ganondorf to stop.

"Please," Bruno gasped, his face a mess. "Enough."

Ganondorf paused, drawing his foot back. "On your feet," he ordered after a pause.

Bruno carefully stood up, wincing and wiping his face. He wavered back and forth, looking like he was about to collapse. Ganondorf reached out and grabbed his wrist, beginning to squeeze. Bruno howled in pain, convulsing and twitching.

Ganondorf leaned in close. "I would like you to apologize for they way you've treated me. I do not think that is too much to ask, is it?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Bruno whimpered, tears running down his face. "I apologize!"

"Apologize for attacking me," Ganondorf continued, speaking in a calm tone.

"I'm sorry for attacking you!" Bruno practically yelled. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _my God I said I'M SORRY!_"

"Good, very good," Ganondorf replied, his eyes like steel. "Only one last thing. I need you to admit to all the people here that you are a disgusting, pitiful specimen of a man. Just do that, and I will let you go. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes," Bruno replied hastily, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Then do it!" Ganondorf said, giving Bruno's wrist an extra jerk for emphasis.

"I'm a disgusting, pitiful specimen of a man! I'm a disgusting, pitiful specimen of a man!" Bruno yelled, throwing his head back. "Please, please, _please_ let me go!"

Ganondorf complied, loosening his grip. Bruno sighed in relief, taking deep, shuddering breaths. Just before Bruno's mangled wrist fully slid from his grasp, however, Ganondorf seized it again and pressed as hard as he could. There was an audible cracking sound. Bruno screamed in agony, thrashing in Ganondorf's grip.

"Remember the name of Ganondorf Dragmire," Ganondorf stated, completely releasing Bruno's wrist. "For your own sake, hope we do not meet again."

Bruno sank to his knees, clutching his wrist and whimpering. He rocked back and forth, oblivious to everything but his own pain. Satisfied, Ganondorf turned on his heel and strode away, his jacket billowing behind him. The crowd watched him go, expressions varying from disgusted to terrified.

The silence was broken by long, low clapping coming from inside the crowd. The patrons shifted aside, trying to get a good look at the source. Wario emerged, slowly clapping and grinning widely. "Great work, man! Dat was pure art right dere!"

"Thank you, my friend," Ganondorf replied, smiling. "I do try."

He and Wario moved past the frozen patrons, climbing on their bikes and turning them on. They slowly coasted toward the street, stopping just before the turn.

Ganondorf looked over his shoulder, staring straight at the Dark Hogs. "Coming?"

The bikers snapped out of their haze, nodding feverishly. They scrambled onto their bikes, gunning the motors and pulling up behind Ganondorf and Wario. A few spared Bruno apologetic looks before coasting past him.

"Well, gentlemen," Ganondorf said, addressing all the bikers before him. "Time for us to leave, I think."

He turned back to the front, revving his motor and riding out into the street. Wario and the Dark Hogs followed, forming a procession behind him.

"Nicely done," Bowser's voice came from a bush on the side of the road.

Ganondorf didn't respond, but instead let his lips curve into a full-on grin. He revved his engine again, riding off into the night with Bowser and the Dark Hogs behind him.

* * *

"For the night was not impartial. No, the night loved some more than others, served some more than others."

-Eudora Welty

* * *

U92: I apologize if you were disturbed. It won't be that violent in the future.

Everything you've seen of the villians so far has led up to this moment: the villians gaining control of the Dark Hogs. Did the transition seem natural?

Sue2: My last bit was because I was listening to the song 'Carameldansen'. If you've never heard it, LISTEN TO IT NOW. It's HILARIOUS.

Shameless plug for... um... CREAM CHEESE. Because I feel like it.

REVIEW!


	8. Mirrors and Plans

U92: Hey everyone. This will be the last update for a few weeks, due to finals coming up for both of us. Hopefully this will satify you.

We get an update on everybody this chapter!

Sue2: Hey all. I think we'll take a little while longer to upload the next chapter, buy I hope you enjoy this one!

REVIEW!

* * *

-Chapter Seven-

_Mirrors and Plans_

* * *

Ganondorf braked to a stop, staring up at a nondescript gray warehouse. "This is the location?"

Louie, a wiry biker with tousled dirty-blond hair, nodded. "Bruno told us to come here if we ever got in trouble with anyone. He said there were emergency supplies in here, enough to fight a war with if we had to. We never thought he was being serious. We've never had any enemies around here..." Louie trailed off, noticing Ganondorf turning to stare at him.

"No one to fight?" Ganondorf said, raising his eyebrows. "Has this world taught you nothing? You must _always_ be ready to go to war."

"With who?" Louie questioned, puzzled. "Who would _we_ need to fight?"

"Everyone," Ganondorf answered ominously, taking the keys from Louie's hand and dismounting his bike.

The bikers followed him, having parked their bikes in a small lot next to the warehouse. They crowded around Ganondorf as he unlocked the door, noticeably anxious to enter the building. Ganondorf swung the door open, gesturing to the bikers to head inside. They immediately walked into the warehouse, squinting into the darkness. Ganondorf and Wario followed, Ganondorf locking the door behind him.

Wario flicked a switch, causing the lights to flash on. With the addition of light, all present could now see the inside in its entirety. The warehouse was very expansive, having two floors with multiple rooms and even a balcony over the first floor, Most of the space was empty, save for a large amount of brown crates stacked near the back of the first floor.

These crates drew Ganondorf's interest. He stalked over to them, examining the crates with a great deal of interest. "Can you open these containers?" he asked the assembled bikers.

"Well, we don't have any crowbars or anything like that," one biker called out. "We could try to open them by hand, but that might take awhile."

"No matter," Ganondorf replied. "I can handle these myself."

To the amazement of the bikers, he effortlessly wrenched off the top of a crate with both hands, tossing it aside. Reaching into the crate, Ganondorf pulled out several rifles and shotguns.

The bikers gaped, shuffling backwards slightly. Wario, on the other hand, couldn't disguise the raw excitement and hunger on his face, almost salivating at the sight of the guns.

"Interesting," Ganondorf murmured, carefully placing the weapons to one side and digging inside the crate again. "Very interesting."

Ganondorf took the rest of the crates apart, a large pile of lumber and packing materials forming in his wake as he worked. He painstakingly placed each item on the ground, organizing them with similar items in neat, orderly groups. Shotguns. Rifles. Pistols. Sniper rifles. Machine guns. Ammunition. Packaged food. Freeze-dried food. Money. Counterfeit money.

With each new item placed on the ground, the bikers' stomachs sank lower and lower. Each one was thinking the same thing. _We're in way over our heads here. _

After the last item was put with the others, Ganondorf stood up, surveying the piles and smiling widely. "Excellent. We have more than enough supplies for our needs. Events are proceeding better than I could have anticipated."

"Uh, Mr. Ganondorf, sir," one biker spoke up timidly. "What are we going to do with all this, exactly?"

"You do not know?" Ganondorf asked him, surprised. "I shall explain it to you, then."

Wario groaned in the background. "Not anudder speech! They take _forever_!"

Ganondorf ignored him, clearing his throat and fixing the bikers with a piercing gaze. "I am new to this land. I have been here but a few days, and I have been incredibly sickened by what I have seen. Poverty and suffering are everywhere, yet most choose to live in blissful isolation rather than helping their fellow man. They surround themselves with material goods and simple pleasures, becoming selfish, ignorant, and pompous. This society is horribly, deeply flawed, advocating equality and equal opportunity on the surface while actually having a horrible bias towards the wealthy. If there is anything I _cannot_ stand, it is accursed _wealth_!" he roared suddenly, causing several bikers to jump. "I have seen people with great potential become misguided and self-serving simply due to their increase in wealth and privilege. That is _not_ a correctsystem! A just society supports every person, no matter their class. And yet the Hylian royalty insists they are better rulers than any Gerudo! How is this-"

He broke off, noticing the confused and scared faces of the bikers. "Forgive me, I deviated from my topic. Let me start again."

"I do not stand for injustices of the kind I have seen here, and I have elected to take action against them. No longer will anyone have to live in pain, suffering, or terror! No longer will there be an unfair societal systems that leaves the poor to die! Every man, woman, and child shall receive equal opportunities to become successful. And once the other nations of this planet see how prosperous and happy we have become, they will be sure to follow our example! Ah, it will be glorious!"

"How do you plan to do this?" one biker called out skeptically. "Are you a politician or something? How are you going to get people to listen to you?"

"By force," Ganondorf stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "With your help and these supplies, we will convince the current leaders to capitulate towards our demands. We will be feared at first, naturally, but eventually the people will love us for what we have done. They will sing our praises and forgive us for what we did to achieve peace. Soon enough, this country shall become a utopia rivaled the world over!"

There was a near simultaneous sharp intake of breath. "And what if we don't want to fight for you?" another biker called out defiantly.

"Then you will have to face a very good friend of mine," Ganondorf replied, snapping his fingers.

Bowser materialized from out of the shadows, stomping up next to Ganondorf. "About time you let me inside. I was beginning to get hungry," he said happily, licking his lips.

The reaction was explosive, to say the least. Several of the bikers screamed. A few bolted for the exit, furiously attempting to wrench open the locked door. One of them even fainted. The rest just stood stock still, frozen in terror at the sight of the enormous lizard standing before them.

Wario snorted at their behavior. "Wimps."

"If you refuse to follow my instructions or attempt to defy me in any way, Bowser will find out exactly how well you taste," Ganondorf declared, a satisfied smile on his face. "Any objections?"

All the energy seemed to leave the bikers at once. They stopped moving completely, wearing expressions of pure despair. "No, sir," they chorused dully.

"Good," Ganondorf replied. "I had hoped you would not be as utterly foolish as to try and stop us. You may leave now and get some rest." He tossed the keys to the dejected bikers near the doorway. "Meet us back here in two days. We will have made our first plan of attack by then."

The bikers unlocked the door, silently filing out one by one. Louie was the last to go, sparing Ganondorf, Wario, and Bowser one last look before turning to leave.

_What have we gotten ourselves into?_ he thought sadly to himself, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Samus woke to the smell of melting cheese. She opened her eyes, looked around.

The sun was shining through the window, the tone matching the pale yellow of the walls. She lay on the green couch, while Mario and Link slept on mattresses on the floor. Some sort of courtesy because she was a girl. She snorted. Idiots. Peach loved chivalry, and Zelda put up with it, but Samus didn't. Thankfully, Ike had never tried to be chivalrous to her, or she'd have hit him. She grinned as the thought entered her head that he probably knew that. It was followed by a pang of loneliness that she quickly suppressed. If she let missing him slow her down, then she'd get killed. And what good would that do either of them?

Elyan was in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove. He looked over, smiled.

"Good morning," he said. "Alicia's already gone to work."

"Good morning," Samus said. She got to her feet. "What is that?" she pointed to the pan on the stove.

Elyan smiled again. "It's a grilled cheese sandwich. I'm not a very good cook, but even I can make these." He looked down. "Oh no!" quickly he lifted the sandwich with a spatula, but the damage was done: it was already burned black. He shrugged, laughing. "Okay, so maybe I can't."

Samus smiled. "You seem happy here."

Elyan shrugged again, now more serious. "I guess so. I miss Sael like crazy, but Alicia's trying to find her. I believe she'll succeed. And laughing makes the pain less."

Samus nodded. It made sense. "Let me try the grilled cheese sandwich. I think I saw Peach make one once."

Elyan surrendered the spatula and stood to the side as Samus attempted to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

A few minutes later, Link walked into the kitchen. He stopped for a moment by the window, stretched, then came over to the two at the stove. "Good morning," he said.

"How are you feeling?" Samus asked.

Link put his head to one side. "Surprisingly well," he said. "My magic has come back. Funny, it's not supposed to do that for at least three days if you use it all." he smiled. "But then again, I've never used all of my magic before. Maybe I'm just a fast healer."

Mario walked into the kitchen a second later. He smiled a greeting at the others.

Samus turned around. "Oh, no!" She had burned it too. She laughed.

"Let me have a go," Link said.

Getting slightly stunned looks from the others, Link shrugged, slightly self-conscious. "I've cooked before. When you travel alone except for a fairy, you have to learn a little." He took the spatula from Samus. "If you don't pay attention to it, it will burn." He looked at the flame rising from the stove. "Can you make the flame a little lower?"

Elyan quickly turned down the flame on the stove. In a few minutes, Link was looking proud of himself and the group was eating grilled cheese sandwiches and grinning at each other.

* * *

-World: Smash World-

Ike was fighting better than Marth had ever seen him fight before. He was getting faster, and he always seemed to be sparring, training on his own, or looking for someone to spar with. Ike wasn't usually this obsessively busy.

Ike called out across the stage. "Are you going to attack or not?"

Right on cue, a Bob-omb dropped from the ceiling. Marth, working with ROB, had changed the Bob-ombs into force bombs. Instead of exploding and burning you, they simply threw you backwards. He caught it in one hand. He walked forwards, sword out, then whipped the bomb-omb at Ike. Ike's sword came down with reflexes he hadn't had last week, batting the Bob-omb back. Marth was thrown backwards.

In a second, Ike had his sword at Marth's throat.

"I give," Marth said. "You win." He smiled at Ike. "You've gotten a lot better."

Ike nodded with a half smile, removing his blade. "Thanks," he said.

A flash of light burst from the laboratory.

Ike looked up. "I'm going to go see what they're doing," he said.

"See you," Marth said.

When Ike ran into the laboratory, he saw an experiment taking place.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Shhh!" Nana said. "Zelda's trying to see if she can get through to Link."

Zelda stood in front of the gate. Her eyes were closed, and her hair floated around her head in a halo. Mewtwo levitated just behind her, and his purple power circled around Zelda, glowing and pulsing in synch with her own. The thread of magic, Zelda's shining heart-power and Mewtwo's psychic energy, flowed through the portal.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. They were shining. "I've got him!" she cried. "A mirror! I need something reflective!"

Ike looked around. A sheet of metal stood against the wall. He raced over, grabbed it, and pulled it to where Zelda stood. She held out a glowing hand towards it, and the mirror sparkled and glittered.

An image formed. It was Link, Samus, and Mario, sitting at a table with a young, blond-haired man. They were talking quietly and eating sandwiches of some sort.

"Link!" Zelda shouted, her eyes glowing. "Link, can you hear me? Link, answer me!"

* * *

-World: Earth-

"Link! Can you hear me?"

Link looked around. "Who said that?" he asked.

"Who said what?" Samus looked confused.

"Shh," Link said. "Elyan... do you have a mirror of some sort?"

Elyan thought a moment. "Alicia has one. A hand mirror. I'll get it." He ran up the stairs.

"Quickly!" Link said. He looked around. "Zel?"

* * *

-World: Smash World-

"Yes!" Zelda shouted. "He can hear me! Link, I'm right here! Turn around!"

The Link in the mirror did what she said, turning and looking. He squinted at her. "Zel... is that you?"

"It's me!" Zelda shouted. "It's me! I found you!"

A moment later, the young man came back, carrying a hand mirror. Link took it from him, closed his eyes. The mirror glowed a pale green, and Link opened his eyes again. Then, he walked towards her, and swiped the mirror through the air.

The next thing the mirror showed was Link face as he peered down into the little hand mirror. "Zel, have I got you?"

"Yes! Yes!" Zelda cried. "Look!" She sent even more power into the sheet of metal. Link's image became even clearer.

* * *

-World: Earth-

There she was - the love of his life, his _wife_, looking up at him from the mirror. "Zel," he said softly.

Zelda looked strained. "Link, I can't keep this two-way thing up for long. It's hard."

"Right," Link said. "Then I won't mince words. We're safe for now. We've lost contact with Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario, but I think they're alright. We've found Elyan on this world, we're safe in his sister's house. The gate we came through was broken when the people on this end shot at us and missed."

Zelda nodded. "So to really pick you up, our gate will need to be twice as powerful. We'll get working on that. Link..." her face twisted. "Link, I can't keep this up for long. I'll be able to see you through the mirror, but I can't boost your magic as well as my own very often. I'm going to have to stop in a minute."

Samus looked over Link's shoulder. "Zelda!" she said.

Zelda smiled. "Hi Samus." she looked around. "Hey Ike. Get over here."

A moment later, Ike was in the mirror. Zelda stepped out of the way.

Link handed off the mirror to Samus, but kept his hand on the back to keep the contact.

"Hey," Samus said.

Ike's voice came out of the mirror. "Hey," he said. "Samus. Be careful, okay?"

"I will." Samus smiled. "See you when we get back."

Zelda's voice came through the mirror. "Mario," she said. "Peach isn't here, and I can't hold it long enough to send someone to get her. But she loves you and misses you. She's in the kitchen, I can tell you that, making cookies that you'd better hope you get back for."

Mario nodded.

Link took the mirror back. He looked at Zelda's face for a moment, smiled. "I love you, Zel."

Zelda blew a kiss. "Love you too. I have to stop... any longer might be dangerous. Don't get killed... please. I'll try it again in a few days."

"Don't worry about me," Link said.

And Zelda's face faded from the mirror.

The three, hearts lightened greatly, looked at each other.

"I'd say that was just what we needed," Link said. He looked at the mirror with a gentle smile. "Thanks, Zel."

* * *

-World: Smash World-

Zelda held her head. She smiled at the mirror. "I love you, Link," she whispered. Then she fainted.

Mewtwo flung out a paw, catching Zelda in a swirl of energy. _That has drained her completely. She needs rest._ The power flickered, and Zelda almost fell. _Apparently so do I._

"I've got her," Ike said, catching Zelda. "I'll take her up to her room."

Mewtwo let go of Zelda. He levitated out of the room, 'tripping' in the air and almost falling.

Ike shifted Zelda into a less awkward position and carried her to her room.

"I'll watch the mirror," Nana said, "and I can run and get you if anything happens." she sat down in front of the sheet of metal and put her chin on one hand. She pulled her star out of her pocket and lit it in her fingers.

* * *

-World: Earth-

"Jessica," the woman said.

Sael didn't answer. It wasn't her name, why should she answer to it?

"Jessica." Sael felt someone shaking her shoulder. "Jessica."

"Please," Sael said, though she knew the answer already. "Can you please call me Sael? Calling me Jessica just reminds me that Jessica died in the program while I escaped."

The woman looked angry now. "Jessica, you are my daughter and you will answer to your birth name. The psychotherapist says calling you by your birth name will help bring you back to who you were."

Sael gave up. "Please excuse me," she said, leaving the room. She didn't want to yell at the woman, but she was losing her mind. All this woman wanted was Jessica. All anyone wanted was Jessica. The people at school the few days she had gone, all they wanted was their friend. All Jessica's parents wanted was their girl back. All the psychotherapist asked about was Jessica. Jessica was dead. Didn't they know that? No one wanted Sael. No one at all. Just Jessica.

Sael looked in the mirror. Jessica stared back at her. She had the long, straight hair and wore Jessica's jeans and top. Only the despair in the brown eyes showed that the issue with the gate had ever actually happened, that this wasn't simply an older Jessica.

_Why can't I just be Sael? _She thought._ I'm not Jessica. Why can't they get that through their skulls?_

Sael looked around, saw a pair of scissors sitting on her desk. _At least I can look like Sael. How did Jess do this again?_

As she snipped, she thought. If she could be Jessica again, would she do it?

Her eyes found the picture on her desk, and she smiled. _No. Elyan doesn't want Jessica. He loves me._

She finished the slightly lopsided cut and put the excess hair in the garbage. Jessica's stepmother was going to flip. It didn't matter._ When I look in the mirror, I want to see Sael. Is that a crime?_

* * *

"_Bye, Sam!" Willie hollered, smiling and waving. "Come back soon!"_

_Mayberry smiled, throwing Willie a small salute as he stepped out of the bar. He turned and began to walk toward his car, feeling especially content. Alcohol always seemed to calm him down, particularly on days like today. _

_He'd had a severe case of the Mondays all day. Lorraine had argued with him the previous night, and she'd still been slightly cold to him this morning. He received a positively staggering amount of paperwork concerning his latest field assignment, and was forced to work late to finish everything. To cap it all off, traffic had been horrible both ways. _

_It was with a certain amount of relief that he staggered into Willie's Bar and Grill, sat down at the bar, and ordered a tequila. _

_Several shots and a conversation with a sympathetic Willie later, Mayberry was feeling much better. He was even whistling as he pulled out his keys._

_Two grim-faced men in trim black suits intercepted him as he was about to unlock his car. "Sam Mayberry?" one of them asked in a flat tone._

"_Yeah, that's me," Mayberry replied, looking from one to the other. "What is it?"_

"_We need you to come with us," the blond suit said matter-of-factly._

"_Can you tell me why?" Mayberry asked, putting his hands in his pockets._

_The suits exchanged glances, the brunette suit giving a small shrug. _

_The blond suit turned back to him. "Do you remember a man named Dean Devlin?"_

_Mayberry squinted, thinking hard. "That scientist who got kidnapped by the Russians? What about him?"_

"_You were with him at the debriefing when he was returned to U.S. soil," the brunette suit stated. "We have reason to believe he gave you classified information during that time."_

"_Classified information?" Mayberry said disbelievingly. "Devlin didn't give me any classified information! He just kept going on and on about dark matter and gates to other worlds. Real crackpot stuff. None of it sounded classified."_

"_Devlin related information on an ongoing government project, codenamed R.E.D.," said the blond suit. "We need to know exactly how much he told you."_

"_You also need to sign a vow of confidentiality," the brunette suit added. "We need to know you haven't told this information to anyone else."_

_Mayberry stared at them. "You can't be serious about this. Dimensional gates are just science fiction, they're not _real_! You expect me to believe all that actually exists?"_

"_Science is constantly moving forward, Mr. Mayberry," the blond suit answered. "Every day researchers do what many would consider impossible. Even you must realize that."_

_Mayberry sighed. "Okay, I'll be with you guys in a sec," he said, pulling out a cell phone and beginning to dial. "I just need to call my wife and let her know where I'm going."_

_In one quick move, the blond suit snatched the cell phone out of Mayberry's hand. He pocketed it, giving Mayberry a sympathetic look. "We're sorry, Mr. Mayberry. There will be time for that later. We need to get this contained as fast as possible."_

"_Hey, give that back!" Mayberry protested, reaching for the phone even as the blond suit began steering him towards a black limousine. "I need to call my wife, I'm already late, she's going to be frantic, she won't know where I am-"_

_Mayberry was lightly shoved into the limo, the suits slamming the door behind him. The brunette suit motioned to the concealed driver, and the doors promptly locked shut Mayberry watched them turn and walk away with a feeling of dread. He began pounding on the window, shouting at the top of his lungs. "You can't do this to me! I need to call my wife! You have no right, taking me off the street like this! Let me out of here!"_

_The limo pulled away from the curb, picking up speed as it went. Mayberry was pressed up against the window, watching the two suits grow smaller and smaller. "Let me out…" he mumbled, slumping down in his seat. "…let me out…please…"_

* * *

"BRIIIIIIIIING!"

Mayberry jolted awake, sitting bolt upright on his couch. He whipped his head around, trying to locate the source of the noise. Scanning the room, his eyes fell upon the phone, flashing insistently in its cradle.

He got to his feet, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he walked over to the phone. _That dream again…_

Abandoning that thought for the moment, Mayberry pulled the phone from the cradle, bringing it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Sam, I think I got a lead for you," Zeke's voice issued from the receiver. "Something major went down at a bar last night involving two of the saboteurs. Apparently they got in a fight with another guy and then left the scene as fast as they could. The cops just finished interviewing the witnesses a few hours ago. I can give you their names, if you want."

"Yeah, sure, hang on," Mayberry replied, placing the phone on his shoulder and tilting his head to keep it in place. He rummaged inside a desk drawer, pulling out a pencil and a piece of scratch paper. "Okay, go."

"Jack Reese, lives at 2208 Maple Drive," Zeke began reading. "Ben Wolfe, lives at 6320 Sherman Road…"

"I really don't want to talk about those guys," Reese mumbled, looking away. He was seated opposite Mayberry in his living room, where he had reluctantly agreed to be interviewed.

"Believe me, I understand that," Mayberry replied, leaning forward in his seat. "But I need you to tell me everything you can. These men are dangerous, Mr. Reese."

Reese sighed. "I met them through my girlfriend's sister, who asked me to teach them how to ride a motorcycle. She called them 'two nice immigrants who only wanted to learn how to ride,'" he mimicked in a breathy, high voice. "Yeah right. Those two rode way too well to just be beginners. I bet they were terrorists trying to build up an army."

"An army?" Mayberry repeated, surprised. "What makes you think that?"

"The Dark Hogs, a biker gang, followed those two when they left. Ganondorf had picked a fight with Bruno, their leader, and he ended up beating the crap out of the guy. I'm guessing he then took over as leader himself. I can't say what the two of them are doing with the Dark Hogs right now, but I'll bet it's not good."

Mayberry nodded, absorbing this information. "Did you see where they went?"

"I wasn't really looking, but it looked like they were going further downtown," Reese replied. "If I had to guess, I'd say they were heading toward the Wholesale District."

Mayberry stood up. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Reese. Rest assured that we will find these men soon."

"One more thing," Reese said, stopping Mayberry in his tracks. "Those guys took two of my bikes without paying for them. Could you manage to get me any compensation? They were rather expensive models."

Mayberry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'll see what I can do."

A few hours later, Mayberry had spoken to several more witnesses. All of them told him the same basic details of what had happened, confirming that Ganondorf had assaulted Bruno and escaped with Wario and the Dark Hogs. Mayberry now had a concrete picture of what happened, which he mulled over as he drove back home.

_It doesn't make sense. This 'Ganondorf' seems to be acting under some sort of plan, but Reese's descriptions indicated most of his actions have been snap decisions. If he is under orders, why has he and this 'Wario' been acting so randomly? And why aren't the other four saboteurs with them? What can they be doing by themselves?_

_The more answers I get about this case, the more questions I have,_ Mayberry mused. _There's definitely something I'm missing, some key element that would help make sense of this. But what is it?_

_Ah well, _Mayberry thought morosely, sighing. _I can't think straight on an empty stomach. I'll get something to eat, then go look around the Wholesale District. Someone has to have seen a group of bikers riding around late at night. _

Mayberry turned a corner, slowing down to 20 mph. _I'll find them soon enough. Maybe then I'll start getting some concrete answers on this case._

* * *

"The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart."

- Saint Jerome

* * *

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

* * *

U92: I included two quotes instead of one because this chapter simply couldn't be summarized with only one theme.

Which characters do you like reading about most? Speak out, you could influence how much they show up in upcoming chapters!

Sue2 and I came up with a list of music themes for various characters in the Smash Mind universe. Would you like us to post them?

Sue2: Poor Sael. Her section made me sad. But Yay! Contact between the loves who are missing each other! Now if only I could do that with Sael and Elyan. Wait. I'm the co-authoress, so I can. But I'm not going to. Not in the real story, anyways. But this is an AN. Bring on Sael and Elyan!

_Sael and Elyan hug. Hearts come out of their heads. Bliss, love, happiness. The song 'collide' by Howie Day (their theme song together) plays._

Yay. Now I'm happy. I hate seeing people sad. But that _never happened_ in the actual story.

You saw _nothing_.

REVIEW!


	9. Domino Park

U92: After a long break, we've finally managed to update! This chapter features New World's first real major fight scene, written by yours truly. If you though the Bruno vs. Ganondorf fight was good, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

Sue2: Hey everyone! Exams are finally done (mostly). Now, the credit for this awesome scene goes to Ultiman. You can probably guess the bits I wrote. I have two more things to say.

Sunflowers = :D (that'll make more sense in a minute)

Ultiman and I = not the owners of SSB.

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Eight-

_Domino Park_

* * *

"Alicia?" Elyan asked, sitting down beside her. "What was I like then? I mean, before I went to the other world."

Alicia thought. "Well," she said, "a lot like you are now. A few months ago that wouldn't be true... then you were kind of stiff and serious... sad. You've been acting more and more like the Jeremy I remember, if a little wiser. You loved hiking, and everything to do with nature." Her eyes lit up. "I forgot! See those sunflowers out there?" she pointed to the window. Elyan looked out at the tall, bold flowers, and nodded.

"You were staying with me 'till you had enough for an apartment of your own when you planted them. It was... right after you'd signed on to work with Dr. Devlin." she smiled. "They've been coming back every year since. Pretty, huh?"

Elyan looked at the sunflowers. "Can I go into the garden?"

Alicia grinned. "Don't ask permission, Jer. It's still your place too."

Elyan smiled at her, and walked out the door in his bare feet. The warm sun shone around him as he knelt by the golden flowers. He touched a leaf, enjoying the feel of it between his fingers. He brought his hand up to brush the petals.

The yellow blooms bobbed their heads in the breeze. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoyed the wind on his face. He smiled as he remembered the nature in the other world, the grass, the trees, the mountains... the first things to bring a stir of feeling to him. He wondered if nature might bring his memories of Alicia back like it had brought back his emotions.. He really did want to remember... Alicia seemed like the best sister anyone could have. As long as he didn't have to lose what he had gained as Elyan, he'd be happy to have Jeremy's memories again.

As if called by his thoughts, Alicia walked around the house. She was pulling a green snake-thing, and it stretched out behind her and around the corner.

"What's that?" Elyan asked.

"The garden hose," Alicia said. "I thought you might like to water your flowers. Hold this, and I'll turn it on." she put the nozzle in his hands and ran back around the house.

Elyan turned the 'garden hose' over in his hands. It was a long, green, hollow tube with a metal rim. He started slightly as it shook in his hands. What was making it do that? He held it up to his face and looked inside...

Only to be sprayed in the face by a blast of cold water. He threw the hose, still producing a fountain of clear water, to the ground.

Alicia came back around to see him sputtering and wiping his face with his hands. She stopped, looked shocked, then started laughing. She laughed so hard she had to lean against the wall of the house for support.

"That wasn't funny," Elyan said.

"Was... so..." Alicia panted, still laughing.

Elyan looked at the hose on the ground. A ghost of a mental image entered his mind, and he knew what he had to do. He picked up the hose. Aiming it at Alicia, he put his thumb over part of the end. A huge blast of water hit Alicia, and she screamed. "Don't you _dare_!" She lunged for the hose. Elyan held on tightly. Alicia pulled on the hose, jerking it back and forth, completely soaking them both. Elyan, keeping hold of the nozzle, aimed the head at Alicia, and she grew wetter and wetter.

"Stop!" she called. "I give! You win!"

Elyan stopped and aimed the hose at the ground. Alicia was laughing and crying at the same time. All of a sudden, she ran and hugged him tight. "Jer," she said. "How did you know? How'd you know we used to do that as kids?"

Elyan felt a rise of affection for Alicia, and he hugged her back. "I didn't," he said. "I guess, memories or no memories, you're still my sister, huh?"

Alicia buried her head in his shoulder, hugging him tighter. "Yeah. Thanks... big bro."

* * *

At precisely eight o'clock in the morning, Ganondorf rose from his cot in the warehouse, used a cleansing spell to purify his body, and then ate breakfast. He then crossed to the center of the warehouse, crossed his arms, and waited.

One by one, the Dark Hogs filed into the warehouse and stood before him. Silent and broken, all wore expressions of complete and utter hopelessness. Ganondorf's words had cut deep into them, rendering each man without hope and afraid for their lives. They desired nothing but to be given their instructions, so they might have peace if but for a moment.

After the last man had entered, shutting the door behind him, Ganondorf finally spoke. "It seems that all of you are here. Excellent. None of you have been as foolish as to attempt to defy me. I can promise that every man here will be rewarded for his loyalty. Now, I believe it is time for us to make our first move."

"And what would that be, sir?" one of the Dark Hogs asked in a dull tone.

"We will send a message to this city, one it shall not forget easily. Our message shall be spread amongst the people, letting all who reside here know of our plan for this nation. You see, in order to initiate a revolution, one must have control of the people. And the prime method of gaining control is to make the people sympathetic to one's cause. Once the people are behind you, there is nothing you cannot accomplish. If we can make a statement concerning our plan public, we will plant a seed in the minds of the public. When this seed flowers, we will have the full support of this city behind us. Once this city begins to follow us, others will soon join us as well. Soon enough, this entire nation will be ours!"

Ganondorf paused for breath, looking expectantly at the men before him. The Dark Hogs did not respond, staring at the floor with ashen faces.

"Well?" Ganondorf demanded. "Is my plan not to your liking?"

"No, sir," the Dark Hogs chorused flatly.

"Good," Ganondorf replied. "Now, the first phase of the plan requires your assistance. Can one of you please inform me of a location where large amounts of people congregate?"

There was a pause.

"Uh…how about Domino Park?" a voice in the crowd called out hesitantly. "There's always a lot of people at amusement parks."

"Who said that?" Ganondorf asked, scanning the assembled men. "Come now, where are you?"

Several men shuffled aside, revealing a scared-looking Louie. "It was me, sir," he spoke quickly. "I know where it is."

"Come here," Ganondorf directed, beckoning with a finger. "Tell me exactly where this…Domino Park is. We have much to prepare before we can act."

* * *

Domino Park was indeed packed with people, as it always had been. Having just opened a few months ago, it had quickly become Los Angeles' favourite attraction for both tourists and locals alike. Located just outside the downtown area, the park was massive, covering over five square miles and filled to bursting with rides, attractions, concessions stands, and much more. Every day, Domino Park rang with shouts, cries, and screams of delight.

The central plaza was one of Domino Park's main features, consisting of a wide open space surrounded by several restaurants and bistros, with tables scattered throughout the area. It was quite crowded during the lunch hours, packed with exhausted and starving visitors eager for a bite to eat. Occasionally, an entertainment act would play during lunch hours, to the delight of park patrons. A magic show was currently playing, surrounded by a crowd of excited onlookers.

"I wave my wand like so-" the magician said loudly, twirling his stick in an overcomplicated fashion. The children around the stage oohed and ahhed, pushing each other aside to get a better view.

The magician smiled to himself, marvelling at how the children seemed to eat up his act. He didn't notice the growing bundle of crackling purple energy behind him.

Several concerned parents did, though, grabbing their children and pulling them as far away as possible. Looking around confusedly, the magician finally noticed the swelling energy out of the corner of his eye. He almost fell off the stage in shock, dropping his wand and scrambling away as fast as he could. The energy solidified into a solid purple sphere, rapidly growing in diameter until it was the half the size of the stage.

Bowser stepped through the sphere, causing the energy to disperse. He doubled over, coughing and hacking. "Agh…kahah…stupid teleportation magic. Makes me sick."

Many of the plaza's patrons screamed at the sight of him, breaking into a run and colliding with each other in their haste to get away. The panicked crowd swarmed into the main mass of park patrons, causing widespread chaos and confusion. A couple patrons were frozen in place, afraid that one false movement would focus Bowser's attention on them.

Bowser sighed. "_Again?_ I'm starting to get _really_ sick of this world."

He hopped off the stage, stomping over towards the frenzied crowd. _"STOP!"_ he snarled at the top of his lungs, baring his fangs for good measure.

The patrons fell silent, freezing in place and turning to stare at Bowser, wearing expressions of abject terror.

"That's better," Bowser said, satisfied. "Now, there's no need to get so alarmed. I just want to talk to all of you. Is that too much to ask?"

The crowd shook their heads.

"I didn't think so. Now, let me introduce myself. My name is Bowser Koopa, and I'm here on behalf of the mighty Ganondorf Dragmire, your new lord and savior. He's going to save every single one of you, if you'll let him. You see, your society is pretty screwed up. Poverty, disease, violence, etcetera. Well, Ganondorf promises to get rid of all that. He'll make a better world. A nicer world. A _perfect_ world. And all he needs is your support…"

Bowser continued on, launching into a long monologue about Ganondorf's plans. Across the park, people were noticing the commotion and coming over to see what the disturbance was. The crowd grew as Bowser went on with his speech, eventually growing so large it began to spill out of the plaza and into the rest of the park.

One of the patrons pulled out a cell phone and began dialling furiously. "What are you doing?" the woman next to him hissed. "You'll get us all killed if it notices you!"

"I'm calling my boss at WTW News!" the man whispered back. "This is a _scoop_!"

* * *

Mario looked up. There was a voice coming out of Alicia's... television, that was what it was called. A very familiar voice. He got to his feet, walked over to the television.

Naturally it would be him. Mario sighed. No matter what Bowser may have been like before they had met for the first time, now he was trouble.

With alarm, Mario looked closer at the screen. Bowser was standing on a stage, talking, but surrounding the stage were people... mostly children! Bowser was careless even when he wasn't trying to harm people, and this did not look good.

Link walked in. "Mario, is that..." he stopped, staring at the screen. Then, hearing the name 'Ganondorf' spoken, he put a hand to his forehead. "Something tells me those three are up to no good." He tugged on the hem of the light green shirt he wore.

Link and Samus both had new clothes, thanks to Link having a red Rupee on him. They were worth a lot to a gem-obsessed people like the ones on this world. Link was wearing a light green shirt and dark brown cords. He had kept his hat but had pulled it low, over his ears. Samus had chosen light pants that were easy to move in and a sky blue shirt with wide sleeves. Under one of her sleeves, hidden by how wide they were, she had strapped a pencil thin laser blaster from her suit.

Samus walked in next. "Idiots. Typical of them, though. Trying to take over this world when there is a possibility they wouldn't survive capture by its authorities." she sighed.

"There are people at that park," Link said.

"And-a mostly kids," Mario put in. "Let's-a go."

* * *

Mayberry was driving around the Wholesale District yet again, feeling rather depressed. He'd been searching the entire area for two days straight, asking every man, woman, and child if they'd seen a large group of motorcyclists driving around at night. Only one person had even caught a glimpse of them, and even that lead had turned out to be a dead end. _Whoever these guys are_, Mayberry thought to himself, _they really know how to disappear. This might not be as easy as I'd hoped._

Mayberry's internal musings were interrupted by the sound of his cell phone. Fumbling in his jacket with one hand, Mayberry pulled out his phone, flipping it open and holding it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Sam, you're never going to believe this!" Zeke's excited voice sounded on the other end of the line. "You know that big lizard thing you talked to me about? Well, _it's on the news_! And it's _talking_!"

"Talking," Mayberry said skeptically. "Really. Zeke, you know lizards can't talk, right?"

"Well, _this_ one does!" Zeke's voice said, sounding peeved. "It's giving some sort of speech at Domino Park about how we all have to worship some guy called Ganondorf Quagmire. Real crazy stuff, eh?"

Mayberry's eyes widened. _Ganondorf! That's the guy who started the bar fight! Has this lizard been trained by him? And how is he making it seem like the lizard's talking? _

"Sam? You there?" Zeke's voice asked, bringing him back to reality.

"Yes, I understand. I'm on my way," Mayberry said abruptly, closing the cell phone and abruptly changing course. He began to head straight for Domino Park, his mind still buzzing with questions.

* * *

"This is it," Samus said.

Mario took off at running speed for the place where Bowser stood.

"Hey!" Samus called, but Mario didn't hear.

"A fight between Bowser and Mario will cause a lot of destruction," Link said.

"Mario will try to make sure they're the only ones who get hurt, but he won't be able to," Samus agreed.

"So we'll have to keep the people away from them." Link pointed. "You go that way, I'll go this way. Try to get the people to leave if you can."

Samus nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Mario pushed past the rows of news cameras, squeezing into the plaza. He began to elbow and shove his way through the crowd, offering hasty apologizes to annoyed patrons. As the crowd began to thin near the center of the plaza, Mario broke into a run, culminating in a full-on sprint as he approached the stage. He jumped into the air, flying straight at Bowser, who was still in the throes of his monologue.

"_Bowser!"_ Mario yelled, curling his arm into a fist.

Bowser turned in shock, his eyes widening as Mario punched him hard in the face. The Koopa fell over, giving a cry of pain before hitting the ground with a loud thud. Mario landed lightly on the stage, shifting into a fighting stance and instinctively lighting up his hands.

The crowd gasped.

Bowser slowly got to his feet, his eyes murderous. "_Mario_..." he growled, speaking the name as if it were a curse. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"I should-a be asking you the same!" Mario yelled indignantly. "What are-a you doing to these people?"

Bowser snorted. "I'm just talking to them, no need to get so steamed up. I was halfway through my big speech when you showed up, so if you'd mind..." He gestured for Mario to move off the stage.

"Oh no you-a don't!" Mario shouted, the fireballs on his hands swelling. "You're-a coming back with me, so the others can-a decide what to do with you!"

"Fat chance!" Bowser declared. "I'm working for Ganondorf now, and I'm not going to let you or anyone else get in the way of our plans!"

"We'll-a just see about that!" said Mario, lunging forward and nailing Bowser in the chest with a fireball.

The fireball exploded upon contact with Bowser's skin, creating an explosion of flame that blasted the Koopa several feet away and caused part of the stage to collapse. The crowd screamed, frantically dispersing as everyone present made a run for the exits. They collided with the news crews and other confused park patrons, creating a state of complete and total hysteria.

"Wait! Don't-a panic! Stay calm and walk out slowly..." Mario trailed off as he noticed no one was paying attention to him. "Mama mia," he muttered to himself before jumping off the stage and running after Bowser.

* * *

"Please, you have to leave!" Link called to the patrons of the park. "Otherwise, people _will_ be hurt. This is dangerous!" He heard a shout and looked over.

A man in an elaborate top hat and cape was still standing backstage, ringed in flames. Link raced towards him, searching his pack for something, anything, that would help the man. His fingers brushed a bottle, cool to the touch. He smiled. Blue flame would put out the regular fire, then, as long as it had no water to feed on, it would die out. He pulled out the bottle and uncorked it, throwing it at the fire.

The blue flames burned a hole in the red ones, and slowly began to envelop them. "Don't worry!" Link called. "The blue fire won't burn you! Just run through!"

The top hat man looked around nervously, then ran out of the circle. "You saved my life," he said. "How can I thank you?"

Link smiled slightly. "You can leave the park and not get yourself killed." The man nodded and ran off.

A beam of the collapsing stage swung down towards a small group of people. Samus called out, but they simply stared at Mario and Bowser, completely transfixed. Cursing under her breath, Samus pulled the pencil laser on it, disintegrating the wood and showering the patrons with ashes. "You have to leave," she said to the group. "You were almost killed and you didn't even notice. Get out of here!"

* * *

By the time Mario had reached Bowser, the Koopa had gotten back on his feet and was preparing a counterattack. As Mario came at him, Bowser inhaled deeply and blew out a continuous stream of fire. Mario rolled to the side, feeling the rush of heat blow past him. Springing up, Mario threw several fireballs. Bowser ducked into his shell, allowing the fireballs to bounce off harmlessly. This continued for several minutes, each using their fire attacks while the other dodged or deflected the fire.

Eventually, Bowser grew tired of this pattern. Lunging forward, he slashed out with his claws, tearing Mario's clothes and leaving angry purple marks on his skin. Mario cried out, stumbling backwards and holding a hand to his midsection. Several small purple balls squeezed out from in between Mario's fingers, falling to the ground and scuttling about.

Bowser stopped short, staring at the purple balls confusedly. _Are those Shadow Bugs? Why is Mario _bleeding _them? What's going on here?_

Mario took advantage of Bowser's sudden loss of concentration, smacking Bowser with a solid uppercut and throwing in a few hearty kicks. Bowser skidded away in the opposite direction, tumbling head over heels. Mario threw three bouncing fireballs after him. Two of them hit Bowser dead-on, causing small bursts of flame to erupt on Bowser's chest. The third, however, sailed over Bowser's twitching form, continuing on further into the park. Various patrons, oblivious to the commotion in the central plaza, screamed and moved out of the way as the fireball bounced towards them.

The screams alerted Mario to the rampant fireball. He stopped in place, looking from the receding fireball to Bowser and back again. After an agonizing minute of indecision, Mario made his choice, running after the fireball and leaving Bowser there on the ground.

The fireball flew over a turnstile, bouncing into the waiting area for one of the roller coasters. The workers there scattered, hopping over fences and ducking behind plants as the fireball blew past them. It finally came to a halt at the edge of the waiting area, hitting a console and fusing the machinery together in an explosion of flame.

Using one hand to vault over the turnstile, Mario ran up to the melting console. One of the workers crept out from behind a potted plant, his jaw dropping open as he inspected the damage. "Oh, no! No, no, _no_! The controls are completely fused!"

"How-a bad is it?" Mario asked, looking over the smoking pile of electronics.

"That console controls the _Wildcat_," the worker explained hurriedly, pointing to the roller coaster next to them. "It regulates the motors inside the cars, adjusting the speed to keep the cars moving safely. Without that console, there's nothing to slow the motors down! In about four minutes, the cars are going to run off the tracks with people still on them!"

Looking over at the track, Mario could see the coaster roaring along the track at high speeds, getting faster by the minute. The two people aboard were screaming in delight, oblivious to the impending danger.

Mario's face hardened. "I'll-a save them! Don't you worry!"

He jumped over the coaster's gate, landing nimbly on the tracks. Mario began to jump and run his way across the mass of tracks, making his way towards the out-of-control coaster.

"Are you crazy?" the worker yelled in disbelief. "You're going to get yourself killed up there!"

"Trust me!" Mario called back, climbing to the top of a drop in the track.

* * *

Bowser stirred, blinking his eyes and climbing to his feet. He scanned the surrounding area, attempting to locate Mario somewhere in the park. Bowser finally spotted a red and blue blur running along the track of the _Wildcat_. His eyes narrowed. "There you are!"

Bowser launched into Horn Charge, hurtling towards the entrance to the _Wildcat_. He smashed through the turnstile and the coaster's gate, leaping onto the side of the track. Bowser began to climb after his nemesis, growling and snarling all the way.

* * *

Samus heard a scream. A woman was screaming, calling for help.

One of the smaller rides, a little Ferris Wheel, had groaned to a halt, frozen by Link's blue flame. The little kids in the baskets were hanging off the ground as timber, burning blue, fell around them. "Somebody save my baby!" screamed the woman.

Samus put a hand on the bars and leaped upwards, into the first basket. She picked up the first kid. "Hold on tight to me," Samus said. She kicked upwards, knocking a piece of wood out of the way, and leaped off of the ride. She deposited the kid on the ground and reached for the next one.

* * *

Link felt water on his face. _Where..._ he looked up. The stage had sported a wooden house in a fake tree, and the roofing had sprinklers that reacted to smoke. The sprinklers were letting down a fine mist of water. _Oh no..._ Summoning his magic, he reached for the blue flame.

It took more energy than Link had believed he could summon, but he got control of the blue fire. He brought his hands down slowly, absorbing the chill the magic flames gave off into himself. He felt his warm core grow slowly colder as the blue glow dimmed.

* * *

Mario had just made it to the summit of the drop when he spotted the coaster. It was heading for the summit of another drop several meters in front of him, starting to decrease in speed as it approached the top. He quickly outlined a plan in his head, measuring distance, length, time, acceleration, and the force of gravity. With no time to think about what he was doing, Mario shuffled backwards until he was at the very edge of the track, then sprinted forward and leaped across the gap.

Time seemed to slow down as Mario flew through the air, keeping his eyes fixed on the accelerating coaster. He began to hurtle towards the track in front of him, arms flapping in an attempt to push him those last few inches forward. Running out of momentum, Mario began to drop like a stone, falling right towards the track. Just as he was a mere second away from smashing into the track, the coaster appeared below him, breaking his fall. Mario landed with a hard thump on the speeding coaster, the impact nearly making him slide off the edge. His scrabbling hands grabbed onto the security bar for support, holding on for dear life.

The two riders in the front gazed at Mario in shock as he pulled himself up into a crouching position without letting go of the security bar. "Are you suicidal or something?" one of them shouted over the roar of the coaster. "What are you doing?"

"Saving-a your life!" Mario yelled back. "No-a time to explain. This coaster is going-a to crash! I'm going-a to save your lives, but you have-a to trust me!"

The riders exchanged glances. "We're not sure..." the other one shouted doubtfully.

Without warning, an enormous fireball blew past Mario's head. The riders shrieked in surprise, clutching each other for support. Mario turned around slightly, looking for the source with a sinking feeling in his heart. Sure enough, Bowser was right behind them, clumsily leaping from track to track while blowing fireballs at the coaster. "Mario!" he bellowed. "You're not getting away from me this time!"

The riders turned back to Mario. "We've changed our minds. _Get us off this thing!_" the first one howled. The second one rapidly nodded in agreement.

Working quickly, Mario bent the security bar back, snapping it off and freeing the riders. He unsnapped the first rider's safety belt, hoisting the rider onto his back. "Hang-a on tight!"

"Wait, what about me?" the second rider demanded, looking simultaneously scared and angry.

"I'll-a come back for you, I promise!" Mario replied, leaping off the coaster to another part of the track below.

Bending his knees slightly, Mario landed on a lower segment of track. He continued jumping to lower and lower sections of the track, gradually making his way to ground level. Finally, Mario landed just outside the wrecked gate with a thump. The rider loosened her grip, running out to the open plaza. "Thank you, sir!" she called out.

Mario briefly tipped his hat to her before returning to the track, heading back towards the runaway coaster. Three to four well-timed leaps later, and he was just a short distance away from the car containing the last rider. Just one more jump and he'd be-

A claw suddenly seized his leg, grabbing him and slamming him into the side of a higher segment of track. Bowser smashed him into the metal posts several more times, grinning wickedly. "Bwa ha ha ha! Take this! And that! And some of this!"

His vision swirling, Mario struggled to form a coherent thought. _The...coaster...the coaster is... going-a to crash in less-a than...in less-a than a minute! I...I have-a to get free!_

Lighting up his hand again, he tossed a fireball in Bowser's general direction. The Koopa dodged, involuntarily loosening his grip on Mario's leg as he did so. Mario managed to wriggle free, kicking away Bowser's arm and unsteadily coming to his feet.

He began to run to the coaster again, only to be stopped by Bowser sliding into his path. "Not so fast," Bowser sneered. "You're not walking away this time." He began to slowly advance towards Mario, extending his claws and lighting up his breath. Behind Bowser, the coaster began to approach a turn, accelerating slightly.

Mario took all this in at once. There was no time to think, only to act. He jumped into the air at the last second, leaving Bowser swiping at nothing. Mario bounced off the Koopa's head, leaping to the right with his feet stretched out in front of him. He wall-jumped off a group of metal posts in the side of a track on the right, landing on the coaster just as it rounded the turn. Pausing a bit to adjust his balance, Mario unsnapped the last rider's safety belt, pulling her up onto the hood of the car.

"What are you doing?" the rider shouted nervously, attempting to pull back. "Why aren't we jumping down?"

Mario shook his head. "There aren't-a any other parts of the track near here! I'm-a going-a to have to throw you!"

"WHAT?" the rider cried. Before she could say anything more, Mario grabbed her by both wrists, pulling her up onto the hood of the car. Crouching down low, he began to spin her in circles, finally letting her go once he had built up enough momentum. The rider flew off into the distance, heading right for a giant yellow and white tent. Her screams were abruptly cut off as she hit the tent, causing it to collapse inward on itself and bury everything inside with a rustle of fabric.

Mario closely watched the remains of the tent from his perch on the coaster, anxiously looking for any sign of life.

"OWWWWW!" came a cry from the tent. "MY LEG! OWWWWWW!"

Mario smiled to himself. _At-a least she's relatively okay. That's-a what counts._

Bending his knees, Mario jumped again, falling towards the ground. He shut his eyes tight, inwardly hoping the impact wouldn't hurt too much.

Bowser suddenly appeared in midair before Mario, savagely tackling him and sending them both crashing down on yet another segment of track. Bowser released Mario from his chokehold upon impact, letting the plumber fall aside in an undignified heap. Mario sprung to his feet, wavering back and forth slightly as he did so. The two circled each other on the narrow segment of track, each of them completely focused on his opponent.

Bowser abruptly stopped circling, advancing towards Mario with a predatory look on his face. "Nowhere to run now, Mario. You're all mine."

Mario began to walk backwards, attempting to keep a reasonable distance between himself and Bowser. Near the edge, he slipped and lost his balance, arms pinwheeling as he frantically tried to regain stability. Another slip pitched Mario over the edge, falling off the track and out of sight.

Bowser stared after him dumbly, unable to comprehend what he had just seen. A slow smile spread over his face, culminating in a gout of wild, loud laughter. "Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha, BWA HA HA HA HA HA! Nothing can stop me now!"

_SCREEEEEEEEEEEE!!_

Bowser stopped laughing, looking around in confusion for the source of the sudden loud noise. After a moment's searching, he managed to spot the runaway coaster less than a meter away from him.

He shut his eyes, sighing. _Mario, you stupid son of a-_

_WHAM!!!_

The coaster smashed into Bowser, pulling him underneath its wheels. As Bowser struggled to get the cars off of him, the coaster reached its terminal speed, jackknifing off the track and taking Bowser with it as it fell. The coaster and Bowser hit the ground together with a resounding crash, sending a cloud of dust billowing up in its wake.

Hanging on to a support beam in the underside of the track, Mario smiled. _All's-a well that ends-a well._

Gingerly sliding down the beam, Mario dropped to the ground and ran back towards the central plaza.

* * *

"Mario!" Samus shouted as the man landed next to them, miraculously still on his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm-a not so sure..." Mario said, swaying dizzily.

Link caught hold of Mario's arm, holding him up.

"You're-a shivering," Mario said quietly.

"He absorbed the Ice Fire into him," Samus said. "His core is frozen."

"I-I'll be a-alright," Link said, teeth chattering. "C-come on."

As they left the park, a car drew up, stopping next to them. Alicia opened the door. "Get in!" she called. "Jer and I saw the fight on the news."

The three got into the car. Mario leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, looking weary. Samus held her head in her hands. Link kept shivering.

Elyan looked out the window. "Wait!" he said, throwing open the door and running out.

"Jer, stop!" Alicia cried, running after him.

"But I saw her!"

"JEREMY!"

Elyan stopped, looking back. Alicia continued. "This isn't the time, Jer. We need to get them home before the police start mobbing the place. You're putting them in danger. How many times have we done this? It's never her. You always tap some stranger who looks like her on the shoulder, but it's _never her_!"

Elyan walked back towards her, his eyes downcast.

Alicia hugged him. "Come on, Jer," she said. "Let's go home. We'll find her, I promise."

The two walked back and got in the car. Alicia turned the car and drove away.

* * *

Mayberry's car skidded to a stop just outside Domino Park. Readying both his badge and his pair of handguns, he leaped out of his car and raced towards the park. Finding no entrance or exit that wasn't being swarmed by fleeing people, Mayberry had no choice but to push his way through the panicked horde that was clogging up both the street and the sidewalk. Finally managing to make it inside, he snagged a random worker who was also trying to leave.

"NSA! Where is the lizard?" he barked, flashing his badge to the stunned man.

"I s-saw it go over there," the worker stammered, pointing at the _Wildcat_.

"Great, thanks," Mayberry replied, releasing the worker and sprinting straight for the rollercoaster.

Coming up on the entrance, he eyed the twisted remains of the turnstile with apprehension. _So it's really strong. Great. Just what I need to be dealing with._

He carefully stepped inside, bypassing the entrance to the ride and heading straight for the wrecked coaster. Mayberry slowly crept toward the pile of mangled cars, freezing in place when the pile began to shift. He flattened himself behind a support beam, peering out at the moving pile of debris.

With a mighty heave, Bowser burst free from the pile of dented, mangled metal. He gingerly climbed out of the pile of rubble, cursing under his breath. Bowser began to slowly limp away from the scene, still muttering inaudibly to himself.

Seeing the strange lizard begin to slip away, Mayberry quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out a small disposable camera. He brought it up to his face, quickly snapping off a shot of Bowser in profile.

The flash of light alerted Bowser, who spun around in time to see Mayberry duck back behind the support beam. _Some human...I'll teach him to spy on me!_ He started forward, but a twinge of pain in his midsection stopped him. _Agh. I'm still hurt from that fall I took...I can't fight like this._

"You got lucky this time, human," Bowser said aloud, glaring in Mayberry's direction. He turned and stomped away, disappearing into the bushes.

Mayberry was completely frozen behind the beam, his heart thudding in his chest. _It talks! It _talks_! IT TALKS! My God, Zeke was right! What the hell is going on here?!_

He slowly peeked out from behind the beam, making sure Bowser had gone. Once he was sure the Koopa was not lying in wait for him, he stepped out into the clearing, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

A glimmer of light in the middle of the wrecked coaster caught his attention. Mayberry crossed over to the debris, bending down and examining the source closely. It was a dark green scale wedged into the side of the coaster, shining brightly where the sunlight had hit it.

_The lizard must have ripped it off when it broke out of the wreckage,_ Mayberry realized. Reaching into his pockets again, he pulled out a pair of tweezers and a plastic bag. Holding the tweezers in his hand, he carefully extracted the scale from the coaster and dropped it in the bag. Sealing the bag, Mayberry brought it up close to his face, examining the gleaming scale. "Zeke is going to have a field day with you," he murmured.

* * *

Mario was sitting on the couch, rubbing salve onto a burn on his arm. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't keep from smiling. He'd done it, and no one had been seriously hurt. Link was wearing a heavy sweater of Elyan's in an attempt to ward away the cold, but to no avail. Samus, as the least injured of the three, was helping Alicia and Elyan make food for everyone.

Mario looked over at Link. "Are you-a alright?"

"Just cold," Link said with a small smile. "I can deal with cold. You did really well out there. How are you feeling?"

Mario shrugged. Then, his face lit up. "You-a got that from-a the magic ice fire?"

Link nodded. "Yes. Why?"

Mario lit his right hand once more, this time letting the fire hang in the air. "Put this-a one out. Maybe it will help-a you."

Link held out a hand and summoned a trickle of magic. The fireball disappeared, and Link smiled. "I'm not cold..." he said. "Thank you. You shouldn't have done that - it was my own fault."

In the kitchen, as Mario scoffed, Alicia turned to Samus. "He's an amazing person," she said. "he almost died trying to save other people, and still he thinks of Link first."

"He's a hero," Samus said, smiling. "The best of the best."

* * *

"A hero is one who does what he can. The others don't."

-Romain Rolland

* * *

U92: I'll be the first to admit it. This whole chapter was just an excuse for me to write Mario fighting Bowser on a rollercoaster. Did it seem too contrived?

Domino Park is entirely fictional, but the _Wildcat_ is a very real rollercoaster I had the misfortune of going on once. Fast and loud doesn't even _begin_ to describe it. I was clutching the safety bar for dear life the whole time, utterly convinced that the coaster was going to jump off the rails at any minute. That experience definately had an influence on this chapter, and completely solidified my apprehension of rollercoasters.

Poor Mayberry. I think I broke him. Let's hope he recovers by next chapter. (crosses fingers)

Tell me the truth. Do my fight scenes suck?

Sue2: Mario = PURE AWESOME.

But why was he bleeding shadow bugs? Seriously, Ultiman, you need to tell you curious co-author more. You're driving me out of my_ mind_!

(U92: But it's so _fun_ to tease you, Sue2!)

I hear there were a lot of requests to see Marth in the story. Honestly, I'd like to know why. I love Marth as much as any other SSB fan, but I'd like to know why you want him in here so bad.

Tune in for the next chapter!

Oh, and review._ Please_. -puppy face-

REVIEW!


	10. Necessary Events

U92: At long last, Chapter Nine is published! I'm really sorry about the delay. Last week was just incredibly busy. I know, I know, lame excuse, but it's the truth.

Another filler chapter this time, as we get a look at how everyone is coping with the events at Domino Park. Plus, new developments for Sael and Elyan!

Sue2: Hey everyone! I would like to remind the world that WE NO OWN SMASH BROTHERS.

-giggle- I has bad grammar. Enjoy!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Nine-

_Necessary Events_

* * *

Mayberry stopped in front of Zeke's office, pulling out the plastic bag containing Bowser's scale with one hand. After briefly examining the scale for any damage, he dropped the hand holding the bag back to his side. Stepping forward, Mayberry pushed open the door and walked into Zeke's office, clearing his throat self-consciously. "Zeke, it's me, Sam. I've got something you might want to take a look at."

Zeke was seated in his chair, propping his head up with one arm as he intently watched a portable television set sitting on a corner of his desk. As soon as Mayberry spoke, he frantically motioned for silence with one hand, shooting the detective an annoyed look before returning his gaze to the television. Curious as to exactly what had completely captured his friend's attention, Mayberry walked over to Zeke's side and looked at the screen.

The television was showing a local news program. A blonde female reporter was standing in front of the twisted remains of the _Wildcat_, speaking into a microphone. _SPECIAL REPORT _was scrolling along the bottom of the screen. "…Authorities have not yet been able to confirm exactly what happened here. Some are calling this nothing more than a large-scale practical joke; others say that this is an act of terrorism. There are even speculations that today's incident might be connected to the recent act of industrial sabotage in the downtown area. Whatever the case, this day would have certainly ended in tragedy if not for the bravery of three as of now unidentified individuals, who risked their lives to save people trapped on the rides when the incident occurred."

The program abruptly cut to a different section of the park, where a shell-shocked witness was being interviewed by another reporter. "No, I still don't have any idea where they came from," the witness was saying. "One minute the lizard was rampaging about and everybody was panicking, and then they just appeared out of nowhere, climbing all over the rides. I looked over and saw a middle-aged guy jumping onto the track to help the people stuck on the _Wildcat_." He shook his head in admiration. "That took some real guts."

The program switched to a long, panning shot around the park. Police officers and firemen were gathered in little clusters around the rides, with several witnesses talking to other reporters. "The mayor is calling on these three individuals to step forward and be recognized for their heroism," the female reporter urged. Three rough sketches of Mario, Link, and Samus appeared next to her. "If anyone sees these three, please pass this message on to them. Heroes such as these deserve to be thanked."

Zeke grabbed the remote lying on his desk, thumbing the power button and turning off the television. He turned back to Mayberry, shaking his head and smiling. "What a crazy day, huh? So, what do you have for me, Sam?"

Mayberry handed him the bag. "I found this at Domino Park. I don't think I need to tell you where it's from."

Zeke peered at the scale inside, examining it closely. His eyes widened in realization. "Sam!" Zeke cried out, his eyes darting from the scale to Mayberry and back again. "Is this what I think it is? How the hell did you get this thing? Where'd you find it?"

Mayberry held up a finger, silencing Zeke. "It was stuck in the wreckage of the rollercoaster. I'd like you to have someone take a look at it; find out exactly what kind of lizard can talk and breathe fire."

Zeke glanced at the glittering emerald scale, deep in thought. "Well, I know a guy who knows a guy who's into biology," he said finally. "I could send it off to him, have him run a few tests. He should have the results for you by tomorrow."

"Good," Mayberry replied, turning to leave. "Let me know as soon as you can."

"You got it, Sam," Zeke replied, giving a small salute. "Good luck with your lizard hunt!"

Mayberry rolled his eyes, walking out of Zeke's office and letting the door slam shut behind him.

* * *

_A boy stood in front of Elyan. Three years younger, with sandy blond hair and green eyes wet with tears. "You -" he swore angrily. "Let me out of here! Leesh needs me! I haven't seen her in forever! My sis..." He put his head in his hands._

_Elyan stared wide-eyed at the younger boy. If this was who he thought it was... "You're Jeremy!" he said._

_"That's right," choked out the younger boy, shoulders shaking now. "Give me my sister back... please... I miss her so much..."_

_"I... I don't know how..." Elyan said. "And... aren't we the same person?"_

_"I dunno," Jeremy said. "I've been sitting here in the dark for - It seems like a lifetime. And now you're here, and you're wearing my face."_

_Elyan realized what had happened. "IO didn't take your memories away... she split you in two. She hid you in a corner, leaving me with no knowledge except the most basic to be her slave..." He put a hand to his forehead. "Or, maybe I'm just dreaming."_

_Jeremy stood up and punched Elyan, a surprisingly hard blow. "Feel like a dream to you!?"_

_Elyan stared, shocked. Slowly, he brought a hand up to touch his cheek._

_Jeremy looked away. "Sorry... I'm not usually like this." he laughed bitterly. "Well, you'd know, wouldn't you. But sitting in the dark for... how long has it been?"_

_"Three years," Elyan said._

_"Wow... sis is almost twenty one! So am I... Well, it's hard to come out the same as you went in. It gets pretty lonely... I've been going crazy worrying about Leesh. She's all alone - we were all we had." He looked up. "Please, you gotta get me out of here!"_

_Elyan looked around desperately, but Jeremy was fading. "How do I do that?"_

_"Nina can help..." Jeremy said as he disappeared._

_"Wait!" Elyan called. "Who's Nina?"_

* * *

The therapist looked over his desk at the broken creature sitting in the chair. Her hair, cut clumsily with kitchen scissors, fell around empty, lonely eyes. She had her knees tucked up to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them, in defence from some invisible enemy. Tears sparkled at the corners of her eyes - it seems they never left. She had grown dramatically worse in the last few days. She was clearly reaching the end of her rope.

"Jessica," he said softly.

The tears began to leak out of her eyes, and she hid her head. "My name's not Jessica."

"Alright," he said. He knew she couldn't take much more, so he backed up. "What would you prefer to be called?"

"Sael. My name's Sael!"

"Alright, Sael. Why did you cut your hair?"

She looked down, saying nothing. He tried to smile kindly. "You can tell me. It's okay."

"I didn't want to see her looking at me anymore."

"Who?"

"Jessica. That's all anybody wants from me. Just Jessica. But I'm not..." Her shoulders began to shake. "I'm not Jessica. I'm Sael. But nobody wants Sael. Nobody except him... and they won't let me find him. I'm in Jessica's life, wearing Jessica's clothes, and when I looked at the mirror, Jessica looked back at me. My hair was like this when... when people wanted me for me, and not for Jessica. So I cut it."

The therapist put a piece of paper in front of the girl. "You like to draw, right?"

She nodded. He held out a pencil, and she took it from him. "Draw a picture," he said. "Anything you like."

She let go of her legs and leaned over the paper. She closed her eyes for a moment, and began to draw.

First, the girl herself was drawn. She was wearing different clothes, had short hair in a slightly styled cut, and was carrying a hockey stick. The stick was balanced on one shoulder, and she was smiling.

A young man took shape beside her. He had an arm around her, and he was laughing. Then came another young man, this one with spiky hair and a cape. He stood behind the two of them, pumping a fist in the air. In triumph? Beside that young man, a slightly older one. He had thoughtful eyes and a kind smile. He was also wearing a cape, and holding a sword. She shaded each of them, illuminated by something in front of them. The shading gave the drawing a dreamy cast, like clouds at dawn.

"Who are these?" the therapist asked the girl.

She looked down at them, smiled softly. "There's me. That's me when I got to be Sael... when I got to be a hero. When I was with them, I was at home... and happy. These are my best friends." She put her finger on the spiky haired one. "He saved me from being ignorant forever, and he became my first friend. He's kind and brave and full of joy." She put her finger on the next one, the one holding the sword. "He taught me the words I needed, and he forgave me even though I wronged him. He's wise and smart and easy to trust." Her finger gently tapped the third one, almost a caress. "He was with me even when we were ignorant. He learned like I did, found the more to life. He came and rescued me. He held me when I thought I was alone. He's sweet and loyal and likes to laugh."

The therapist smiled. "That's a nice drawing. Do you talk about these people to your parents?" She shook her head, shrinking away from him again. "Why not?"

"They don't want to hear about them. They don't want me to talk about my life there. All they want is for me to talk about who I was before. They want me to do what I did before. They keep calling me Jessica..." tears threatened once more.

At that moment, the therapist looked up at the clock. It was the end of his session with the girl. "I'm sorry," he said, "but we're all out of time. I'll come and talk to your mother."

As the two walked back through the hallways, she asked, "May I wait outside? The flowers outside are nice."

He smiled at her. "Of course you may. Go ahead - I'll talk to your mother for a minute and then you can go home."

She went outside, walking up to the flowers and caressing a small red bloom with her hand. The therapist looked at her for a moment, and then turned to the stepmother.

"Look," he said. "The person who told you to call her Jessica was wrong. Being forced into what she feels is someone else's role is killing her, as you can see. If she doesn't already have clinical depression, she will get it soon. She feels totally alone, and from what I understand about the way you've been treating her, I'm not surprised. Give her a home - no matter who she is. That's all she needs."

"What can you do to turn her back to the way she was before?" the woman asked abruptly.

He sighed. "First, we have to get her settled down. Accept her for who she is... she's still your child. Once she's more stable, we can try to turn her back into Jessica. But it will take time."

She silently turned to leave.

"Wait-" He made to follow her, then stopped dead in his tracks, looking back at the flowers.

The girl was gone.

* * *

Sael ran as fast as she could. The door had been open - she had heard everything the therapist had said. And she knew nothing would change.

Sael was feeling weak, and she hadn't been eating much, but she could still run faster than her stepmother and the therapist. That was the good thing about playing hockey - you got strong legs out of it.

She ran and ran. She couldn't stay there. That, the therapist was right in saying - she'd _die_ if she had to live like that any longer.

After a while, she stopped, her chest heaving. Her tears sparkled on the ground as she cried. She fell to her knees, screamed. Last time she'd screamed, he'd come to rescue her. Maybe... maybe he'd come this time, too. "ELYAN! ELYAN!"

"Excuse me?" A mild looking man tapped her on the shoulder. "Miss? Is there somewhere I can take you? Are you lost?"

She looked up at him. "I'm lost," she said, wiping away her tears. "Do you know somebody named Elyan?" she held up her drawing. "He looks like this, with sand-coloured hair and laughing green eyes."

"I'm sorry, Miss, I can't say I do," he said. "But perhaps, I can take you to the police station - they might be able to find him for you." He smiled and held out a hand.

She took it, and he helped her to her feet. "Come on. It's just down the street."

"Thank you, sir," she said, and, remembering the gesture of respect used in the other world, bowed to him.

He laughed. "Well, aren't you an odd girl? My name is Andrew. What's yours?"

* * *

"She's _gone!_" cried the stepmother, panting as she stopped running. "She's gone!"

The therapist, his lungs burning, thought fast. "Call the police," he said. "Being on the run could be very dangerous for her." He pulled out his cell phone and handed it to the woman.

* * *

A small, nice-looking young man walked into the station, followed by a girl who looked to be somewhere in her mid-teens. Her face was tear-stained, but her eyes were filled with a quiet hope.

The young man turned to her, gestured towards the officer on duty. "This is the man you want to talk to," he said.

She ran up to the desk and put a drawing down on it. The drawing was in black and white, with four people in it. She pointed to one. "Can you help me find this person? He has blond hair and green eyes, and he laughs a lot." She held a hand a ways above her head. "He's this tall."

The officer looked at the drawing. "Is he lost? Missing?"

"No," said the girl. "I'm lost... I'm trying to find him, but I don't know where he lives. Can you help me?"

The phone rang. The officer smiled slightly at the girl. "I need to answer the phone - I'll be with you in a minute."

"I need help," came a woman's voice over the phone. "My daughter has just run away. I know, they have to be gone for a longer time than five minutes to be declared a missing person, but this is different. She has amnesia... she has no idea how much danger a girl on her own can get in."

"Can I have a description?" the officer asked.

"She has brown hair, cut just above her chin. It's a really messy cut, since she did it herself with a pair of scissors. She's eighteen, but she looks fifteen or sixteen. She's got brown eyes that are sort of tilted downwards at the outside edges. She's wearing jeans, a red t-shirt, and sneakers."

The officer glanced over at the girl standing at the counter. She matched that description perfectly.

"I think we've got what you need right here," he said.

"She's there?" cried the woman.

"I believe so."

"I'll be right there. Don't let her go _anywhere!_"

The officer smiled at the girl again. "Do you know anything else you can tell me about this boy you're looking for? Age, weight, last name? Do you have a photo?"

"Would a better picture help?" she asked. "I don't have a photo, but I can draw you a picture of him."

He brought out pencil crayons from the back and handed them to her, along with a blank sheet of paper. "Try to make it as accurate as you can. Take your time."

* * *

"You two feeling better?" Samus asked.

Mario smiled and nodded. "A rest-a did me good."

"I didn't sleep as well as I thought I would," Link said. "Something was running around in my head all night. _Why_ was Bowser at an amusement park? What was he doing? What's the whole plan behind his 'utopia' speech?"

Mario stopped in his tracks and looked over at Link. "That's-a right."

Samus sat down at the table, motioning Mario and Link to sit down as well. "This is worrying. What Bowser was spouting out was a sympathy speech - trying to get the crowd on his side."

Link nodded slowly. "Sounds like Ganondorf's idea... he knows very well that when people are against you, you can get nothing done save by force." Link smiled. "That always worked in my favour in the beginning - anyone was willing to help me, even if they hated me, because they hated him more. So he's trying to remedy that this time. Has Bowser ever done anything like this before?" he looked to Mario.

Mario shook his head. "Not-a once."

Samus put her head to one side. "But think about it... they failed utterly. Even at the sympathy bit. After all, who wound up the hero? Mario did. It was Mario who saved the people on the roller coaster, Mario who so obviously really cared."

Link smiled. "Bowser forgot to keep his persona of being 'on their side' when he was concentrating on you, so his true intentions were revealed, at least a bit."

"So, I'm guessing it's an attempt to take over the world?" Samus asked.

"Probably more like the country," Link said. "They're not stupid. The whole world would be more than they could manage, and they know that."

Samus smiled slightly. "Let's be glad Ridley isn't with them - he wouldn't settle for anything less."

"If Ridley was here, he'd have been shot already," Link replied. "And I doubt he'd have fit through that little archway."

"Hmm," said Samus. "Pity he wasn't, then. He would have gone through, died, and broken the portal, too. Then we wouldn't be in this mess." _And we'd be home,_ she thought, but carefully kept her face expressionless.

"What can we-a do?" Mario asked. "They're-a very dangerous."

"We wait," said Samus. "We can't find them, and they can't find us. So we wait for them to make the next move."

"And meanwhile?" Link asked.

Samus shrugged. "What we always do, I suppose. Do what's in front of us."

* * *

Elyan opened his eyes. The house was silent.

He got to his feet, walking towards the window. It was the middle of the day - why had he fallen asleep? And he'd had the most peculiar dream... who was Nina, and how could she help?

It was Alicia's day off, but he didn't see her here.

_Hey... the back door's open... Alicia doesn't usually leave the door open like that..._

He walked out the back door. Alicia's footprints. He followed them through the backyard, onto a little pathway. Here her footprints were wet from the grass - she must have just been here.

Soon he reached a gate that was swinging open. He went through.

He walked through a graveyard. Here and there flowers were sitting next to graves. As he walked down the centre of the cemetery, he heard a sound. The sound of a clarinet, playing a soft, slow melody.

Something inside Elyan urged him forward, and he ran on.

There was a little grave, sheltered by a weeping willow. Alicia knelt by the grave, and a fresh lily lay on the dirt. It was Alicia who was playing on the clarinet, Alicia with tears leaking from her eyes.

Elyan walked and sat down next to her. Alicia removed the reed from her mouth and looked at Elyan. "How did you find me?" she asked.

"I heard your clarinet," Elyan said. "Whose grave is this?"

Alicia smiled sadly. "I didn't tell you this when you first woke up - it would mean nothing to you then - but we weren't born twins. We were born triplets. This is the grave of our sister." Her eyes became unfocussed as she spoke. "She was beautiful. She had hair like ours, but her eyes were blue. She liked to wear a lily in her hair... She planted hundreds of them in the garden where we grew up.

"She was always such a sweet girl. Innocent and kind, she had enough love for the whole world. She loved music more than anything. She liked to sing, and play the piano, the harp, the trumpet, every instrument she could get her hands on. She's the one who convinced me to learn the clarinet, because she'd always loved the sound but had never gotten around to playing it herself."

"How did she die?" Elyan asked. "And when?"

Now Alicia looked down. "We were going to turn fourteen in two weeks. How she died? She... was a little too trusting."

Elyan put his arms around Alicia, gave her a quick hug. Then he moved forward to read the inscription.

_**Beloved daughter and sister, lost to us when three became two.**_

_**She was an angel... we knew we couldn't have her forever.**_

_**Heaven will be brighter with her to light it up.**_

_**Let's hope God likes lilies.**_

_**1988 - 2002**_

_**Nina**_

_Nina?_

As he read the inscription, memories of the blond-haired, blue-eyed girl rushed into his mind. "Nina!"

He felt dizzy... his vision started to fade... somewhere, he heard a voice like his own give a cry of triumph.

* * *

Alicia watched, shocked, as Jeremy fell backwards into the dirt. "Jer!" Leaving her clarinet in the grass, she crawled over to him. "Jer... wake up!"

A moment later, he began to stir. His eyes opened slowly, and he laughed out loud. "Leesh!"

* * *

_WHAM!_

_WHAM!_

_WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!_

Ganondorf slammed his massive fists into the side of the room, unleashing a rapid-fire series of blows. Fist-shaped imprints formed in the wall, growing deeper and deeper with every blow he gave. The wood began to fragment under his relentless barrage, sending a fine dust of splinters and paint chips trickling down to the ground.

Wario and the Dark Hogs were flat up against the opposite wall, wide-eyed and frozen in place. Bowser was slumped in a heap off to the side, still nursing several wounds from his fight with Mario. All of them stared as Ganondorf unleashed his frustrations on the rapidly crumbling wall.

Ganondorf finally stopped his assault on the woodwork, propping himself up against the wall with one hand and breathing heavily. He whirled around suddenly, causing the crowd of terrified bikers to jump in surprise. "Bowser, how _could you_?" he roared. "You jeopardized _everything_ we are working for here! _What_ do you have to say for yourself?"

Bowser gave a small shrug, waving a claw in the air languidly. "I _told_ you I was sorry," he mumbled. "I don't know what else I can say. When Mario punched me, I…I just lost control."

"Precisely!" Ganondorf snapped. "You lost control! That is inexcusable, Bowser. We are here as saviours, not conquerors! How do you suppose the general public views us _now_, hmm? You hardly came off as benevolent, chasing Mario with your teeth snapping and your claws out. You must have seemed positively monstrous."

Bowser looked hurt. "Hey, now that's unfair. You would've done the same thing if you were in my place!"

Ganondorf's eyebrows shot upward. "I would have done the same?" he asked incredulously. "I think not! I, at least, would have had the sense to keep a level head and make Mario's opening strike seem completely unjustified in the eyes of the crowd. Your immediate savage retaliation turned you into the villain in this encounter, especially with your blatant disregard for the observers' safety. It will take _weeks_ to rebuild our public image back to arbiters of peace. Do you see what your rash and impulsive actions have cost us, Bowser?"

"Stop picking on me! It was all Mario's fault, anyway!" Bowser snapped. "If he hadn't shown up, my speech would have gone perfectly!"

Ganondorf considered this for a moment. "You may have a point in that, however skewed. Indirectly or not, Mario was the cause of our failure here. He and the other Smashers are going to be a thorn in our sides as long as we continue with our current plan. We need a method of ridding ourselves of those meddling fools once and for all."

Wario shifted in position. "I agree with ya, but what can we do? We're not exactly de highest on de food chain around here at da moment."

"Do not fear, my friend," Ganondorf reassured him. "I am already formulating a plan that could accomplish the task quite well."

"Care to tell us about it?" Bowser inquired, scratching his nose.

"Let me put it this way…ah, how did that old saying go?" Ganondorf questioned, rubbing his chin and smiling. " 'Shield-eaters and world leaders have many likes alike'?"

* * *

"Where is she? Where is my daughter?"

Sael knew that voice all too well. She looked around - she needed some sort of cover- dove behind the desk she'd been shown.

"She's right in here, ma'am. Can you tell us why she ran away?"

"She's been upset over some dream she had during her coma. All she wants to do is look for some boy. He probably doesn't exist, and it'd be even worse if he did. She says he's twenty."

"Ma'am, she's eighteen. It's not illegal."

"No, but he could be a predator for all she knows!"

Clutching the drawing close, Sael listened to three pairs of feet walk into the room. "H-hey! She was just here!"

Another voice - the therapist - spoke up. "Stay there. I know where she is."

A moment later, he appeared around the side of the desk. He bent down and smiled a little. "It's very undignified, all of this hiding under desks. Why don't you come out?"

"I don't want to go back there," Sael said, doing her best to be coherent and polite. "May I please stay somewhere else?"

His eyes were sad. "We'll try, okay Sael? For now, will you come out from under there?"

Sael crawled out and stood up, brushing the dirt off of her knees. "I will not go back," she said in a firmer tone, though her voice shook. "I... I'm eighteen. That's... legal adult age, right? I don't have to stay there."

He hugged her. Startled, she froze. She hadn't been hugged since... since Jessica's parents found out who she was... and who she wasn't. Then, she hugged him in return.

"Sael," he said. "I'm so sorry... because of your amnesia, it's been deemed that you can't live alone or be responsible for yourself. It's too dangerous."

She felt her shoulders begin to shake. "Then let me go back."

"Back to your mother's?"

Sael shook her head. "No. Back to the other world. I can go to the laboratory where it happened first and ask Dr. Devlin to send me back."

"The gate has been broken," the therapist said. "I'm sorry."

"Then what if I go back into a... coma, right?" she asked. "If I go back into a coma I can go back."

"No!" he said, alarm ringing in his voice. "Don't do that. _Please._"

"But I want to go home..." she said. She whipped around to see her stepmother and a police officer standing there. "Leave me alone!" she shouted.

Her stepmother strode forwards. "Jessica, why would you do such a ridiculous thing? You have a roof over your head, you have parents who love you and just want you to be okay."

"Because I hate you," Sael said. "Because I hate you and your house and your rules... I hate this life! Love me? Now _that's_ ridiculous! You only love Jessica!" she balled her hands into fists and yanked one back to punch the woman in the face.

Her arm was caught by the police officer, who was now behind her. "There's no hitting in here!" he said. Sael relaxed her arm, spun around, and drove a knee into the man's crotch. His grip loosened and she jerked away, running out the door.

"Hey! Catch that girl!"

"Sael, please! I'm sure we can work something out! Wait!"

She raced along the hallway. She still felt weak - even more so now. She felt light-headed... her vision was going grey...

Sael's eyes closed as she crashed, senseless, to the ground. The therapist skidded to his knees beside her. "Sael!" Blood, sticky and warm, covered his hand where he touched her hair. "Hey! She's hurt! Somebody get a doctor!"

* * *

"There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go."

-Richard Bach

* * *

U92: This is why you never get Ganondorf mad. He's a real force to be reckoned with.

Zelda fans should be able to immediately guess what Ganondorf's plan for eliminating the good Smashers involves. (Hint: I didn't make that saying up!)

Sue2: Well, that unhappy enough for you? I don't like making them so sad, but it's nessesary, right? I hope you liked it!

REVIEW!


	11. Weakness

U92: It's what you've all been waiting for, a new chapter and (sort of) another fight scene! Mayberry gets into this one, as well as a whole lot of humans. It's pretty crazy.

Just a little note. You might only understand a particular joke in this chapter if you're a fan of a certain car-related British television show - or if you're brickthower21. He gaves us the inspiration for that one.

Sue2: Hi everybody! Happy late Valentine's day! I wish I could say this chapter was full of Valentine's love, but it really isn't. The lovebug seems to have flown away. -shrugs- well, enjoy anyway!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Ten-

_Weakness_

* * *

Ganondorf sat cross-legged in a private room of the warehouse, breathing in a slow, rhythmic motion. He was in a trance-like state, his eyes closed and his upturned palms resting on his knees. An intricate circle had been drawn around him with chalk, containing a design of various thin, crisscrossing lines and interconnected arcane symbols. Blankets were draped over the windows, blocking the morning light from entering the room. Several candles and bowls of incense were lit outside the circle, filling the room with a smoky scent.

Ganondorf breathed in deeply, inhaling as much of the incense permeating the room as he could. He started to slowly chant in Old Hylian, the words flowing off his tongue like honey. A humming sound appeared, resonating from an unidentifiable point in the room. The lines of the circle glowed pale lavender as he spoke, gradually deepening in color and increasing in brightness with every word recited.

He began to recite faster, increasing the tempo of his incantation while still flawlessly pronouncing every syllable. The circle glowed even brighter, the symbols ringed inside beginning to flicker and change. The humming grew louder and louder, almost drowning out Ganondorf's chanting in its intensity. With a bang, one of the windows flew open, sending the blanket covering it tumbling to the ground. A howling wind began to whistle around him, blowing out several of the candles.

Ganondorf's eyes shot open. _"Come!_" he yelled in Old Hylian. "_I command you! Rise from the darkness and advance on this world! Your master is calling you!_"

The wind whirled about the room, swooping in and out of the circle in random, chaotic motions.

"_I summon you!_" Ganondorf bellowed. _"Come to me __at once__!"_

With one final shriek, the wind blew back out the window and away from the warehouse. The humming disappeared, as did the glowing circle.

Ganondorf relaxed his posture, breathing heavily and perspiring. A satisfied grin was spread across his face. _Now, it shall begin._

* * *

Across Los Angeles, a strong wind suddenly picked up. Children cried as their hats blew away, to be comforted by their worried mothers. Garbage men on the streets gagged, the wind blowing the foul stench of what they were transporting right in their faces. Businessmen wrapped their coats tighter around themselves, shivering slightly. Local weathermen noticed the change, remarking on how the squall sweeping L.A. seemed to have come from out of nowhere. Most regarded the wind as bothersome, but not that unusual.

Then the circles appeared.

Miniaturized versions of the summoning circle Ganondorf had used appeared one by one all over the city, glowing a bright purple in color. Passerby on sidewalks slowed down, staring at the anomalies on the ground with confused expressions. A few even tried sticking their hands in the circle, but quickly withdrew them upon receiving sharp electric shocks.

After one minute had passed since their appearance, every circle gave off a bright flash simultaneously, blinding those who had stepped too close. As the unfortunate observers rubbed the spots out of their eyes, they began to notice what had appeared in the circles.

Throughout the entire city, three different types of creatures were stepping out of the circles, causing them to disappear the instant they left their confines. Twisting, moaning cylindrical creatures slowly shuffled down the city streets, making small sucking sounds as they did so. Grinning pig-faced beasts lunged forward, jabbing spears at anyone they could see. Bipedal lizards clutching swords scuttled across sidewalks, spewing fire from their mouths.

Upon seeing the monsters, screams rang out among the populace. Bags were thrown down, briefcases were discarded, and packages were tossed to the side as people turned and ran away as far as they could. The creatures followed them, screeching in anger and jubilation at the commotion around them. The streets and sidewalks became swarmed with panicked citizens fleeing through the city as well as the abominations pursuing them. Cars swerved out of the way, crashed, or were completely abandoned in the hubbub.

Chaos reigned over Los Angeles.

* * *

Ganondorf smiled, listening to the screams, cries, and crashes that could be heard outside the warehouse. "Ahh…the sound of anarchy. It is almost like a symphony, is it not? Every note composed and orchestrated with a collective intent in mind. And when all are played together…" He gestured in the general direction of the cacophony outside. "…It becomes the most beautiful music one has ever heard."

He mimed waving a conductor's wand in time with the screams, humming a classical tune under his breath.

The Dark Hogs gazed at him in total horror, unable to believe that the man before them could actually be enjoying this. Some of the younger bikers looked slightly squeamish at what they were hearing, holding onto the wall for support and praying they weren't about to puke. Wario and Bowser rolled their eyes at them, unfazed by the grim noises in the background.

"Sir? Did you do all this?" Louie asked in a small voice.

"Indeed I did," Ganondorf replied, very happy with himself. "Is it not to your liking?"

Louie mumbled something incoherent.

"Excuse me?" Ganondorf asked, a hint of steel in his eyes.

"Yes, sir," Louie replied dully, eyes downcast. "I do like it."

Satisfied, Ganondorf turned away from him, his returning back outside. "As well you should. There is a certain beauty in seeing one's plans begin to bear fruit. Especially a plan such as this." He smiled again, basking in the glow of his own genius. "The trap is set, the bait is loose, now all that we need is.."

"The victims!" Bowser and Wario chorused, eyes bright and teeth bared in matching grins.

Ganondorf's eyes gleamed. "Precisely."

* * *

Alicia smiled, breathing in the warm air outside her open window. The sun drenched everything in beauty. Looking down on the garden, she saw Jeremy tending to his flowers. He looked up, caught her eye, and beamed at her.

Joy bubbled up in her heart, turning her smile into a grin. Jeremy remembered her. He remembered their life. He remembered Nina. And the best thing of all - he'd stopped hating himself for letting Sael go. He'd stopped hurting. Jeremy's sunny smile brightened her days once more. She waved, turned, and practically skipped down the stairs. Life was good.

Mario was standing in the backyard, watching the wind make the trees sway. Link was talking quietly to the small hand mirror Zelda had said she could hear him through. Samus was attempting to make a grilled cheese sandwich on the stove.

"Don't bother," Alicia laughed. "Jenison's given me a few days off to enjoy my brother being back - so I have time to make waffles."

"What's a waffle?" Link asked, looking up.

"You've never tasted one?" Alicia asked. She laughed out loud again. "Well, you're in for a treat. Waffles are the best."

Jeremy poked his head in the door. "Did I hear waffles?"

"You certainly did!" Alicia called back. She picked up the TV remote off the counter, turned it on. Then she pulled the mix out of the cupboard. A few minutes later, there were waffles on the table.

Link's eyebrows shot up as he put the piece of the waffle in his mouth.

"Good, huh?" Jeremy asked between mouthfuls of his own. "Leesh may burn pizza pops, but she can certainly make waffles."

Alicia stuck her tongue out at her brother, trying her best not to grin. "That was once. And it was _four years ago_. Jer, don't you ever forget _anything_?"

"Yes," he said, looking solemn now. "But I always remember it eventually." he grinned.

Suddenly, a scream sounded from the TV. All three Smashers stiffened, then looked over. "Not _again_," Jeremy said.

Link walked over to the television. He stopped dead. "Oh. Oh no."

"What's the matter, Link?" Samus asked.

"Look." Link pointed at the television.

A reporter stood in the street, monsters running around behind her. "... This morning, a freak wind plagued the city, followed by the appearance of strange circles. Out of these circles stepped monsters that are now terrorizing anyone and anything they come across." The reporter glanced away from the camera and screamed.

"What are those things?" Samus asked.

"They're Like Likes, Moblins, and Dinalfos," Link said gloomily. "Hyrulean monsters. Ganondorf must've brought them here."

"So it's a trap," Samus said.

Link smiled. "Yes. But the thing is, all of these monsters are fairly weak. As long as we can get the people to safety, I believe we could defeat them all. It would take a long time, but I think we could handle it."

"So we go," Samus said.

"Of course," Link said.

"Let's-a hurry," Mario agreed.

Alicia looked at Jeremy. "Since you now remember how, want to drive, Jer?"

Jeremy grinned at her. "Absolutely, sis."

The five of them dashed for Alicia's car.

* * *

Link fidgeted as Jeremy drove. "Jeremy," he said, "there are people in danger. Is there any way you could go faster?"

Jeremy shook his head. "You're asking the wrong Jeremy. My last name's Peri." He and Alicia shared a mildly amused look. There was a pointedly confused silence from the three in the back.

"Forget it," Alicia said. "He's just making a joke."

* * *

Link drew his sword, Samus loaded her arm cannon, and Mario lit his hands as the three dashed out of the car.

Jeremy heard the voice of Elyan in their shared mind. _Jeremy, I know how to fight. I learned how to in the Smash World. Let me out._

_But Alicia... _Jeremy thought back, knowing full well that _responding_ to the voices in your head made you officially crazy, and that he was utterly cracked.

_I'll look after her, I promise. I'd never let anything hurt Alicia. I care about her too._

_Okay._

Jeremy closed his eyes and emptied his mind. He felt a dizzying rush of energy in his mind.

Elyan opened his eyes. _There's an old curtain rod in the trunk, _Jeremy thought to him,_ provided you can fight with a staff._

_That will do just fine,_ Elyan thought. "Alicia," he said, "please open the trunk."

* * *

Link whipped around, hearing a scream. A teenage girl was staring, transfixed in terror, at the Like Like that was crawling towards her.

"Reena!" her friend screamed again. "Get out of there!" But Reena remained where she stood as though fixed to the ground. With a 'sluurp', she was sucked inside the Like Like.

Her friend screamed again, running up and pounding the Like Like with her fists.

"Move," Link said, running up to the Like Like. The Like Like was now bending back and forwards, soundlessly 'chewing' its prey.

_If I cut the Like Like with my sword, the girl will be stabbed, if she's not already dead, _Link thought. He dropped his sword and punched the Like Like. It aimed its mouth at him like a cannon, firing the remains of its prey.

"Run!" Link said to the remaining girl. But the girl, instead of listening to him, ran over to the body of her friend, bent down... and helped the girl to her feet.

Link stopped dead. The girl got up, shaking the liquid off of her. "Ugh," she said. "That's just gross." Then she looked down at herself. "Hey..." she said. "I'm alive! In fact... that didn't hurt at all!"

_They can't hurt us? _Link thought.

The two friends turned to each other with grins. "Hey..." Reena said. "If they can't hurt us..."

"We can hurt them!" her friend finished. "C'mon, let's go find something to clobber 'em with."

"Yeah!" shouted Reena as the two ran away. "That thing will _pay_ for ruining _my_ perm."

Link retrieved his sword and cut the Like Like in half with one stroke.

"Hey, Link!" Samus called over. "These Moblins can't actually hurt anyone!"

"I know!" Link called back. "Neither can the Like Likes!"

"Why-a did Ganondorf a-summon something that can't-a hurt anyone?" Mario called.

"I don't think he meant to!" Link called back.

A moment later, a gaggle of enthusiastic teens and children were surrounding a monster. The teens held kitchen knives, the kids held lengths of pipe or wooden swords. They beat the monsters senseless one by one and moved on to the next.

Sharing a grin, the three Smashers moved to continue eliminating the monsters.

* * *

The shouts and snarls woke Mayberry from a dozing sleep, causing him to bolt upright on his couch and scan his apartment for the source. Determining that the noise was coming from outside, he sprang to his feet, running into his bedroom. After throwing on his overcoat and strapping his holsters to his belt, Mayberry flew back out into the main room of his apartment. Pulling out both handguns, he flicked off the safeties before jamming them back into his belt and heading on out the door. Locking his apartment securely, Mayberry rushed down several flights of stairs, pushing through the exit doors of and coming to a halt just outside the building.

Like Likes, Moblins, and Dinalfos were all over the street, chasing humans while exploring the environment. A few of them spotted Mayberry as he emerged, hissing and growling while making threatening motions with their weapons. Small groups of people were charging towards the creatures, holding various blunt objects and letting out war whoops.

Taking in the scene before him with a sweep of his eyes, Mayberry acted quickly. "_Everybody DOWN!_" he roared, drawing his guns and aiming both of them simultaneously in one fluid motion.

_BLAM! BLAMBLAM! BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!_

Mayberry fired with deadly precision, felling monsters left and right. At the sound of gunfire, the bands of humans discarded their weapons and dropped to the ground, covering their heads protectively.

Noticing Mayberry's sudden wholesale slaughter, the remaining monsters began a hasty retreat away from him. Mayberry began to sprint after them, only to stop when both his guns clicked empty. Letting out a sigh of frustration, he stopped in his tracks and began to reload.

A finger cautiously tapped him on the soldier. "Uh, dude?"

"Not now," Mayberry growled, not turning to look at whoever had spoken. "I'm kind of busy right at the moment."

The finger tapped him again, a little more insistent. "Dude, you really need to hear this."

His self-control snapping in two, Mayberry spun around, glaring angrily at the cowering teenager behind him. "Look," he said tightly, "right now downtown L.A. has been turned into a war zone by creatures out of Lovecraft. I don't know what they are, what they're doing here, or what's going on. I'm just trying to do my part to prevent this city from going to hell in a handbasket, and I _do not need any interruptions_. Now exactly _what_ is _so_ important that you absolutely _have_ to tell me about it?"

The teen shrank back from him. "Easy, easy, dude. Calm down. What I was trying to say was, all that running around n' shooting n' stuff isn't necessary. These things can't hurt us."

Mayberry blinked. "What?"

"It's true, watch." The teen whistled at a lone Dinalfo, which was creeping along the sidewalk in an attempt not to be noticed. It froze in place, holding its sword defensively.

"Hey, you stupid, slimy pile of scales!" the teen called over, cupping a hand around his mouth. "You think you're so hot, with your sword and all that? Ha! I've found geckos more terrifying than you! That's right, I'm talking to you, ugly!"

The Dinalfo didn't understand the words, but was able to comprehend the condescending tone. Narrowing its eyes, it charged at the teen, snarling wildly and brandishing its sword at him. Mayberry moved to intercept it, but the teen held him back. "Just wait a sec."

Lunging forward, the Dinalfo exhaled a torrent of fire on the teen's pants. Mayberry jumped back, horrified. "Your legs! Oh my God, why'd you let it do that-"

"Just wait," the teen repeated calmly, showing no sign of agony or distress despite the fire billowing around him. When the flames cleared, his pants and legs were exactly the same as they were before. There was no sign that the fire had been anywhere near them.

Screeching in rage, the Dinalfo stamped its feet before slicing at the teen with its sword. The blade bounced off of him each time it hit, working the frustrated and confused Dinalfo into a frenzy.

The teen spread his arms. "See?"

Mayberry stared at the teen's pants over and over, attempting to convince himself that he wasn't hallucinating. Both the fire and the sword had very clearly hit him, yet the teen seemed to suffer no damage from it. It seemed that the creatures were, in fact, completely harmless. _That,_ Mayberry thought wryly, _or he's got incredibly strong pants._

Angry at being ignored, the Dinalfo leaped at Mayberry, gesturing wildly with its sword. Without thinking, Mayberry turned and shot the Dinalfo right between the eyes. It fell over backwards on the ground, stone dead.

The teen looked over the corpse, nodding appreciatively. "You're pretty good, dude. Want to help us finish off the ones that got away?"

The people lying on the ground were now rising to their feet, encouraging Mayberry to accept his request.

Mayberry threw up his arms. "What the hell. Let's go monster hunting."

The crowd of people let out a cheer, falling into a march down the sidewalk. Weapons were gradually redistributed among the group, giving every member at least one. Each raised their stick, bat, or axe, loudly singing as they strode towards the intersection where the creatures had disappeared.

The teen grinned, noticing Mayberry's bemused expression. "Crazy, I know. You'll get used to it. We all did soon enough."

He joined in the song, thrusting his lacrosse stick high and scurrying up to join the rest of the group.

Mayberry watched him go, shaking his head in bewilderment.

* * *

Ganondorf peered intensely out the window with a look somewhere between confused and angry. Small spasms rippled up and down his body, his head twitching as they reached his neck. He began to pace up and down the length of the room, seeming as if he was straining hard to hear something. Bowser, Wario, and the Dark Hogs all watched him, unsure of how to process this latest development.

"Ganondorf?" Bowser finally ventured. "Are you okay?"

"Something is wrong," Ganondorf answered tersely, a frown creasing his forehead. A large spasm struck him, his whole body shuddering. "They are dying quickly, far, far too quickly. There should not be this many dead already. It seems that my creatures are being killed all over the city at exact the same time."

"How?" Wario asked confusedly. "I thought only Mario, Link and Samus came here wid us. Dey can't be everywhere at once. It ain't possible."

"Precisely! And yet with every second that passes, dozens more die!" Ganondorf's pacing became more rushed and frantic, his agitation growing. "Somehow, the Smashers are whittling down my army at an incredibly exponential rate for their small numbers. I do not know how they are doing this, but they are _winning_."

The Dark Hogs exchanged glances.

Ganondorf abruptly stopped in place, convulsing even more violently than before. He closed his eyes, waiting for the tremors that wracked his body to pass.

Wario opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced by Bowser elbowing him in the side. Glaring at him, Bowser motioned at Ganondorf and put a finger to his lips. Wario reluctantly nodded, crossing his arms and scowling.

Ganondorf stopped shaking, creating a pregnant pause as everyone waited for him to speak.

"It is finished," he spoke in a slow, emotionless tone. "They are all dead."

Bowser and Wario looked at each other worriedly, silently asking each other the same questions.

Ganondorf's eyes suddenly opened, his face a hard and unforgiving mask. "If I have indeed lost, I will not let them savor their victory! _Release!_" he yelled in Old Hylian.

A strong breeze blew briefly through the room, exiting out an open window.

"W-What did you just do?" Louie stammered, shivering slightly.

Ganondorf turned to stare at him, making the biker quail slightly under his gaze. "I prevented them from obtaining any souvenirs of this battle. They will not take any more from me on this day."

* * *

The crowd was cheering wildly, dancing around a pile of defeated monsters. A few of them started up yet another song, which the others immediately joined in with gusto. Several teenagers on the fringe of the crowd had pulled out cell phones, snapping pictures of the spectacle before them.

Mayberry was right in the middle of it, one eyebrow raised as he finished reloading his guns. _Definitely not like any field mission I've ever been on before_, he observed, sliding his guns back into their holsters.

Moving closer to the dancers, Mayberry reached out and snagged the teenager he had talked to earlier, pulling him away from the celebration. "Hey, what gives?" the teen complained, trying to pull away from Mayberry's grasp. "I was having fun!"

"Listen," Mayberry said softly into his ear, "I didn't tell you this before, but I actually work for the government. I've been investigating all the extraordinary events that have been happening in L.A. over the last couple days. I need one of each type of corpse for study. Can you get them for me?"

The teen nodded. "Good," Mayberry said. "How soon can I have them?"

"I can get 'em right now, just watch," the teen replied, slipping from Mayberry's grasp and jogging back over to the crowd. "Hey, dudes!" he yelled. "My friend here wants a few of the monsters! You know, like trophies! Anyone willing to help him out?"

Several men nodded, breaking from the circle and pulling several bodies from the pile in the center. Grunting and straining, they managed to pick up the corpses and squeeze through the dancers, walking up to the teen with their prizes in tow.

Mayberry looked on approvingly. "Excellent. Follow me, please. My apartment is just a few blocks away from here."

Just then, a sudden wind blew through the crowd, causing many of the crowd to stop dancing and shiver uncontrollably. Mayberry jammed his hands in his pockets, looking around. _Funny…I could've sworn the weatherman said it would be nice and balmy until 6:00 at night. He's _never _wrong._

"_The bodies!_" someone cried out. "_Look what's happening to the bodies!_"

Mayberry's attention snapped back to the corpses the men were carrying. Before his eyes, the bodies slowly dissolved into dust, starting with the head and ending with the feet. In less than a minute, the men were left holding giant piles of dust, which quickly blew away in the strong wind.

Mayberry watched the transmutation in near total incomprehension, his mind almost shutting down from the sheer bizarreness of what he was seeing. Monsters were weird enough. Harmless monsters were even worse. But harmless monsters that disintegrate into dust because of some sudden wind just took the cake. _I think I've officially seen everything by now_, he thought numbly to himself.

Shaking off such thoughts, Mayberry quickly sprang back into action, pushing through the crowd towards the pile of bodies. By the time he reached it, the pile was nothing more than a huge mound of dust, quickly being dispersed by the wind. As soon as every last particle of dust had disappeared, the wind died down to nothing.

"Aw man, this blows!" the teen complained. "No more bodies? What a rip-off." He skulked down the sidewalk, muttering to himself all the way.

Mayberry coughed and brushed dust out of his hair, glaring angrily up into the sky. _I'm going to find whoever did this,_ he vowed. _Even if no one was hurt, this attack was definitely supernatural in origin. And something tells me that those saboteurs are right in the thick of all this. Again._

He sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. _I need a drink. Or several._

Quietly, Mayberry turned and walked away, leaving the complaining crowd behind him.

* * *

The kids were laughing and hi-fiving each other when the last visible monster fell. They gathered around the three Smashers, exclaiming compliments.

"Oh, wow! You guys are _so cool_!"

"That's a sword. That's an actual sword. And you use it so well!"

"Where the hell did you get that cannon?"

"My god! How do you light your hands up on fire like that?"

Elyan approached, Alicia close behind. Alicia had an armful of rocks and was holding one, primed to throw, in her right hand. Elyan was carrying a dented curtain rod.

"Okay," said Link, grinning down at the kids. "You guys did great! You're heroes! But the thing is, we don't know if we've beaten them all. We'd better split up and have a look around. You go that way," he pointed down the street, "and we'll check down here." He pointed the other way.

The kids nodded, calling out promises and praise for Link's plan in chirping voices. The teenagers grinned, catching Link's ruse, and led the excited kids away.

A strong wind blew through the square. The bodies of the monsters crumbled into dust, blown away on the breeze.

Samus, Link, and Mario smiled at each other. "They're gone," Link said. "Ganondorf's given up."

"C'mon," Alicia said. "The car's this way."

* * *

Sael looked up when the therapist walked into the room. He smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Sael."

"Hello," she said.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"I'm okay," Sael said.

"You were quite sick," the therapist said. He held out a tray. The amount of food on it was, to say the least, optimistic. Sael had not been eating much. "I brought you some lunch. You must remember to eat enough - you fainted because you were starving. Why weren't you eating?"

Ignoring the question, Sael held up a hand. An IV needle was still in it, feeding much-needed nutrients into her system. "Why am I being reprogrammed?" Her voice was dull and emotionless.

The therapist looked blankly at her. "Reprogrammed? Why would you think that?"

"When I first went to the other world, IO put one of these in me," Sael said. "and when she reprogrammed me after I cried, she put one in again. It connects to my systems and enters new information." Still, there was no emotion in her voice. That worried the therapist, because he had seen it before - in those withdrawing from reality.

"No, no," he said. "That's an IV needle. You were unconscious for a day, so they put it in you to give you nutrients. Then when you didn't eat as much as you should have, they kept it in to keep you alive. It's not reprogramming you."

"Oh," she said. The therapist put the tray on her lap, and she began to pick at the food. "I see."

"Sael," the therapist said. This was his ringer. He'd find out now if the problems really were the parents. "How would you like to stay with me for a while?"

Her eyes widened, and she looked up. "Stay... with you?" she asked. "At your house?"

He smiled. "That's right. I'd say you need a break from your parents, wouldn't you?"

Joy came into her eyes. _Yes. Emotion._ "I can really stay with you?"

He nodded. "And I'd like to hear about your time in the other world. You can draw pictures, you can paint, you can play games. Anything you like. I just have to talk to your parents and get it all arranged."

Her face fell. "They'd never let you. They'd... what's the phrase? Go... to court? They would go to court before they let me go with you."

He smiled. "If they do that, then the judge will rule in my favor. I'm a psychiatrist, and I can prove that they are hurting you. Trust me, Sael. It will all work out. It will work out if I have to _adopt_ you to get you away from them."

"Why?" she asked. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because I care," he said. "I care about you much more than I should as a doctor. My sister once had amnesia. It nearly drove her insane - everyone pressuring her to remember, only liking who she was before, not giving who she had become even a chance. I'm not going to let that happen to you." he smiled. "Whether you're Jessica, or Sael, or the queen of Sheba, you're a person in your own right and I care about you."

Sael sat up. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much." She reached out and hugged him.

He put his arms around her, and she sagged weakly against him as she started to cry.

* * *

"Everyone's okay," Link said with relief. "Ganondorf made a mistake and everyone is okay."

"Yes," Samus said. "We've won again."

Alicia laughed out loud, setting a platter of food on the table. "You're heroes. That's what heroes do. You've saved the day again. And thank God you three were here, too."

"You would have been able to handle it on your own," Samus said. "Those monsters were _pushovers_."

"Thing is," Link said, "Ganondorf will have learned from this defeat. They won't be so weak next time."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

The mood in the warehouse following the elimination of Ganondorf's army was despondent, to say the least. After Ganondorf destroyed what was left of his creatures, one of the Dark Hogs brought in a portable radio broadcasting a news report on the day's events. From the broadcast, the group learned that the monsters were completely and totally harmless to humans, unable to inflict harm upon anyone they encountered. Resistance groups had sprung up all over the city, including the three mysterious heroes from the Domino Park incident just a few days prior. (At this, Ganondorf began gritting his teeth so hard that the noise was actually audible. Bowser and Wario were forced to calm him down before any of them could listen further.) All the creatures had successfully been defeated, leading to widespread celebration throughout the city. In a mysterious twist, the corpses of the monsters had disintegrated mere minutes after all of them had been killed. No one had any concrete answers as to what exactly had happened, though there were many theories currently circulating among the general population.

The radio was shut off once the program had finished, leaving a heavy silence hanging over the group. No one dared move or speak as Ganondorf stroked his chin, face expressionless and mind deep in thought.

"It was an experiment," he said at last. "A failed experiment, but an experiment nonetheless. The results, though admittedly not quite to my liking as I desired, are still quite informative. We may not have been able to defeat the Smashers, but we learned something quite important in this battle."

"What would that be, sir?" one of the Dark Hogs asked.

"My creatures cannot hurt humans," Ganondorf replied. "It might be a side effect of traveling to a new world. If I were to hazard a guess as to the specifics, I would say that it was because their chemistry is fundamentally dissimilar from your own. They had no indication of what to expect, suddenly arriving here with no warning or explanation. Trapped on an alien world and hampered by an alien science, they were simply far too weak to be effective in battle. Poor things."

"There's a positive side in this somewhere, right?" Bowser ventured.

"Oh yes, quite," Ganondorf agreed. "I know where my error lay in this particular plan. I will not make the same mistake…next time."

Bowser and Wario smiled in anticipation.

All of the bikers felt a shiver creep down their spines.

* * *

"You cannot run away from a weakness; you must sometimes fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?"

-Robert Louis Stevenson

* * *

U92: You have to hand it to Ganondorf; the guy never gives up. The Smashers aren't quite out of the woods yet.

I'm not entirely sure why I chose creepy wind to be a symbol for Ganondorf's magic. I suppose it just seemed simple, yet mysterious when put in context.

Sue2: Am I the only one getting seriously creeped out by Ganondorf? Allow me to publicly congradulate Ultiman on his villain writing. -shudders-

For those who wanted me to give Sael a break, it's always darkest right before the dawn. Sorry if you thought her parts of the last chapter were too angsty, but I was leading up to something. I still am, as a matter of fact.

REVIEW!


	12. Discovery

U92: Sorry this new chapter's so late. Real life coupled with an uncooperative fanfiction website has pushed back our expected posting date somewhat. Sorry.

Sue2: This chapter's gonna be fun. ^.^ Shameless plug for... oh, what the heck. I don't care. Just enjoy the story!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Eleven-

_Discovery_

Sitting on an easy chair, Mayberry toyed with a bag of pretzels. He sighed to himself ruefully, staring out the window with a dejected expression. Today marked a full week since Mayberry was given his assignment, and he'd barely found out anything. He'd spent the last few days playing catch-up to the saboteurs instead of tracking them down as he was supposed to be doing. All of his leads had been dead ends, and every development in the case only raised more questions. Mayberry couldn't remember the last time he'd had a case that was this hard.

He tossed a pretzel into his mouth. _Okay, let's review what I know. The six saboteurs showed up at the Petrelli Institute and wrecked Devlin's machine before escaping. No one knows how they got inside the building, as all of the witnesses only saw them escaping. They split up at some point, with Ganondorf and one of the other guys showing up at a bar and getting in a fight. They left with a biker gang following them, disappearing together around the Wholesale District. A few days later, the talking lizard shows up at Domino Park, apparently on Ganondorf's side. The three other saboteurs reappear suddenly, fighting him and saving people trapped on the rides. All four of them disappear once the crisis is over. Then, less than two days later, L. A. is infested with monsters that can't hurt anybody, prompting the three saboteurs to appear __again__ and help kill them off. _

Mayberry paused in mid-chew, mentally analyzing the sequence of events. When no definite patterns leaped out at him, he sighed in frustration and continued eating. _There are too many holes in the story for me to form a concrete picture of what's happening. I barely know anything about the saboteurs, and with each day that passes things only seem to escalate._

He leaned back in his chair, angrily crunching pretzels between his teeth. _I just _know_ something's been kept from me, some fact about this whole situation that will make all this make sense. Easton won't tell me what it is, Devlin's too paranoid and crazy to say anything anywhere near the truth, and I can't ask the saboteurs, seeing as I can't __**find**__ them! God, this is all so aggravating! _

Mayberry's train of thoughtwas interrupted by a loud buzzing noise coming from his right pocket. Setting down the bag of pretzels, he stuck his hand inside and pulled out his cell phone. _Zeke's number_, he observed, squinting at the screen. _I wonder what he wants._

He flipped open the phone, putting it to his ear. "Hello, Zeke. What is it?"

"Sam, I just got the results of the test of that lizard scale you brought in!" Zeke's voice said excitedly. "You're never going to believe this!"

Mayberry was momentarily confused as to what Zeke was talking about, having forgotten about the scale in the chaos surrounding the monster attack. Realization dawned, leading him to mentally smack himself for his thick-headedness. "What about the scale?" he asked.

"According to my resident biologist buddy, it seems like an ordinary lizard scale at first glance. One of many armor-like plates formed on the outside of the lizard's body, made of keratinized epidermis, resilient against breakage, blah blah blah blah blah. Your standard reptile biology."

"But?" Mayberry prompted. "I'm hearing a 'but' in there somewhere."

"_But_, all of that's only true on the _outside_," Zeke explained mysteriously, lowering his voice for dramatic effect. "Once my friendly neighborhood biologist actually took a look at the scale's composition, he found…nothing."

"Nothing?" Mayberry echoed confusedly. "What do you mean, nothing?"

"Nothing recognizable, not even to a super-scientist like him. He was completely confused when he first put it under his microscope. The scale didn't seem to be made of any recognizable biological material. It certainly wasn't keratin, he knew that much. But he didn't have any clue as to what it actually was. The poor guy spent a whole day looking up every single substance known to man to find _something_ that matched the scale. Can you guess what he found?"

"What did he find?" Mayberry asked, already knowing the answer.

"Zip. Zero. Nada. Bupkiss," Zeke stated in a deadpan tone. "He found absolutely nothing. Whatever that scale is made of, it's nothing anyone's ever seen before. My beleaguered biologist thinks it might have come from somewhere other than Earth. Tch. Yeah right. Even I know that that's completely crazy."

The phone dropped from Mayberry's hand, landing on the floor with a dull thump. "Sam? Hello?" Zeke's voice buzzed faintly from the speaker. "Can you hear me, Sam?"

Mayberry was no longer listening, his mind awhirl as he processed the enormity of what he had heard. Random images and facts flashed by in milliseconds, linking together into a continuous chain of thought. _Project R.E.D. Research of External Dimensions. Devlin. Gates to other worlds. Gate was shot, not attacked. Huge sentient lizard. Scale not from Earth. Monsters. Supernatural events.. Saboteurs fighting saboteurs. Saboteurs with superhuman powers._

He gripped the arms of his chair tightly, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. A single bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. "My God," he murmured faintly. "Devlin did it. He actually did it."

"Sam? Is everything okay?" Zeke's voice buzzed again from the floor, snapping Mayberry out of his trance. Bending down, he picked up the phone and held it to his ear. "I'm still here, Zeke, sorry about that," he said quickly. "Listen, there's a very urgent call I need to make. I'll talk to you later." He abruptly disconnected before Zeke could say a word, dialing another number.

After a solid minute of ringing, the other line was picked up. "You have reached NSA headquarters. Please state your business."

"Easton, it's me," Mayberry spoke tersely. "I've figured out what's been kept from me concerning the sabotage case."

There was a moment of silence. "You had better tell me everything that you know, Sam," Easton stated, his voice deadly calm.

"Devlin's machine isn't just a pipe dream, it actually works. The gate is fully capable of transporting beings from other worlds to Earth. And that's exactly what happened in the sabotage incident. The lizard appeared just as the five saboteurs arrived, who immediately perceived it as more valuable than the gate itself. They captured it, fleeing the scene without damaging thegate, which was destroyed when shots were fired in the laboratory. The saboteurs manipulated the lizard, somehow transferring its power to them. Somewhere along the way, the saboteurs split up, possibly over usage of the lizard. They've been at all-out war for the past several days, each side trying to eliminate the other and gain control of the lizard. Currently, Ganondorf, one other saboteur, and an army of bikers have the lizard. All that we need to do is capture the lizard ourselves and use it to find a way to depower both sides. Once that's accomplished, the saboteurs won't be anything but normal criminals, at which point the L.A.P.D. can safely arrest them. Tell me, Easton, am I right?"

Mayberry waited in silence for Easton to respond. The pregnant pause that followed seemed to stretch out for hours, with every second that ticked by pure agony for the anxious detective.

At last, Easton spoke. "I think you've still got a lot of work to do, Sam. And try not to jump to conclusions so fast in the future; it's a complete waste of both my time and yours." The call was abruptly disconnected.

The low hum of the dial tone droned like a funeral dirge in his ear. Slowly, the hand holding the phone dropped away from his face, landing on his right knee. Mayberry stared dumbly at his phone, shaking his head in quiet disbelief. _Back at square one, then,_ he thought resignedly. _Great._

* * *

Sael looked around the back of the therapist's car. "Doctor, where are we going?"

"Please," the therapist said with a smile. "Don't call me doctor. My name is Thomas Stanton."

"Mr. Stanton, where are we going?" Sael asked again.

"Well," Stanton said, "I thought you might like to talk somewhere else today. There's a little ice cream shop about five minutes from here."

"Ice cream?" Sael asked.

"That's right," Stanton agreed. "It's very good - I'm sure you'll love it. I don't know a single person who doesn't like ice cream."

The ice cream shop was small, painted in a pastel blue. Its owner was a plump, cheerful woman with red hair who greeted Stanton and Sael with a smile.

Sael peered through the glass, looking over the ice cream. "Wow!" she said.

"What flavor would you like?" Stanton asked. "Mocha has always been my favourite, but you might like to start with chocolate."

Her eyes lit up. "I like chocolate," she said.

The two got their ice creams and sat down at a little table.

There was a newspaper on the table. Stanton took one look at the front page. "Well, look at that," he said. "There's another article about those heroes."

Sael looked up from her puzzled examination of her ice cream cone with a start. "Heroes?" she asked. "There are heroes here too?"

Stanton smiled. _Perfect - I've got to show her that this world is worth something too._ "That's right," he said. "These three have been popping out of nowhere and saving the day from a whole bunch of catastrophes lately. Have a look." He pointed a fuzzy photo of the three heroes on the front page. Sael bent over the paper.

Her eyebrows shot up, and her mouth opened slightly in a gasp. "That's ... Mr. Stanton, I know them!"

He looked at her, shocked. "Who are they?"

Sael pointed at the first one, a young man in green, wearing a green hat that was partially covering striking blue eyes. "His name's Link. Umm... he's really brave... his friends think highly of him. He uses a sword and he takes really good care of it. I think he uses magic sometimes... " Her finger moved to the next one, a blond woman in yoga pants and a wide-sleeved shirt with a large, unfamiliar gun strapped to her arm. "She's Samus, but she doesn't normally dress like that. She has an orange suit with a helmet that she normally wears, but I recognise the gun. She likes to do all sorts of acrobatic stuff, like somersaults and things, and uses guns and lasers." She poked the third, a middle-aged man wearing overalls and a red hat. "He's... Mario. He has an accent that 'sounds like-a this', and he can light his hands on fire and throw fireballs, and he's very fast and strong." Sael looked up at him, a gaze filled with joy. "Where are they? I want to talk to them! Maybe they know where Elyan is!"

Stanton froze. The description of their fighting styles matched exactly from what he had seen with his niece at Domino Park. "Sael, how do you know these things?"

She blinked at him. "I met them in the other world! When I was there, I got injured. Roy and Ike brought me back to their camp and bandaged my ankle and helped me heal. Roy introduced me to all of them. They were waiting for someone to come back, so they all sparred with each other to keep themselves busy. There was also a giant turtle or lizard thing whose name was Bowser, and he really hated Mario. And a powerful spell caster called Ganondorf, but Roy didn't introduce me to them. They looked really mean."

Stanton looked at the article. _"The first appearance of these three happened a few days after the reported industrial sabotage of a Dr. Dean Devlin. Could they perhaps have some connection to the saboteurs, or, for a more intriguing thought, the experiment? Such a suggestion brings to mind a sci-fi superhero genre of idea, but it's not all that far away. Scientists have already developed methods of..."_

"Sael," Stanton began. "Do you know the name of that doctor you were working with when the accident happened?"

"Yes," she said. "His name was Dr. Devlin. My stepmother is always ranting about that-" she swore, "Devlin and his blasted experiments ruining her life."

"Do you remember what he was working on?" Stanton asked.

She nodded. "You know. You told me it broke. He was working on an inter-dimensional gate. That's how I went to the other world, and they must have come the same way." She looked at him with an intense face."Mr. Stanton, can we find them? If I can't go home, I want to give them a letter to take to Roy and Marth... and maybe they'll know where Elyan is!"

"Sael," Stanton said, "I doubt our chances of success are very high if even the _media_ can't find where they're hiding, but I promise you I'll try."

_She's involved!_ Stanton thought to himself. _Whatever's going on here, this girl is involved. _His first thought was to report his findings to someone... but then he realized what would happen. _They'd take Sael. They'd use her against her friends and she'd never be left in peace! I can't let this happen... She wouldn't do very well there. At worst, they would use her as bait... and they wouldn't be gentle. I don't think her psyche could handle it._

He leaned back in his chair, making up his mind. _I'll keep this to myself._

* * *

"How soon did ya say he'd be comin' out again?" Wario asked, glancing towards a locked door. "For a genius, da guy sure takes a long time ta think."

"Just be patient," Bowser advised. "He said he wouldn't leave that room until he came up with a way to make his monsters a threat again. It could take awhile."

Wario scowled, turning away from Bowser. "Ah, ta hell wiv bein' patient! I've bin patient enough already!"

He walked over to the door, rapping his knuckles on the metal surface. "Hey, Ganondorf, you done in dere yet? I'm tired of waitin' and I want some action!"

The door suddenly flew open, smacking Wario in the face. Ganondorf strode out, smiling from ear to ear. "Rejoice, my friends!" he proclaimed, spreading his arms wide. "I have discovered the answer to our dilemma!"

"Really?" Bowser said eagerly, his eyes shining. "What is it?"

"Yeah," Wario added, creeping out from behind the door and massaging his nose gingerly. "We're dyin' to know."

"Follow me and I shall explain all," Ganondorf replied, turning and heading into the next room without once breaking his stride. Bowser and Wario scurried to catch up with him.

* * *

The Dark Hogs were scattered about the main room of the warehouse, talking to each other in low, clipped tones. As soon as Ganondorf entered, all of them snapped to attention, springing to their feet and remaining completely still. Ganondorf watched this with approval. "I have trained them well, it would seem."

He came to a stop in the middle of the room, Bowser and Wario skulking behind him. "My fellow warriors," he said, addressing the men directly. "Our forces shall no longer be hindered by the inability to cause harm to our enemies. I believe I have found the remedy to this most grievous situation. However, I require your help to test this solution and make sure that it completely corrects the problem. Do any of you men currently have an animal in your possession?"

The bikers looked at one another, curious to see who would speak up.

"_Any_ kind will do, I am not selective on this matter. Come on, come on, _someone _must have an animal," Ganondorf said impatiently, giving the men hostile looks.

"Uh…I have a goldfish at home…" one of the bikers called out uneasily.

"Good, good," Ganondorf replied instantly. "Are you able to bring me this 'goldfish'?"

"Sure…I guess…" the man replied, looking as though he regretted ever opening his mouth.

"Then do so," Ganondorf ordered. "And do try to hurry. Time is of the essence."

Sighing, the man reluctantly jogged outside and over to the parking lot.

* * *

Half an hour later, the man reappeared, a fishbowl tucked under his left arm. The bright orange fish inside was darting from one side of the bowl to the other, scared by the constant movement. The man set the bowl down on one of the boxes, backing away and rejoining the group.

Ganondorf strode up to the bowl, peering down at the tiny fish. "Not quite what I would expect for a creature representing my glorious army," he muttered to himself, "but it shall serve its purpose nonetheless."

He pulled out a piece of chalk, marking a summoning circle around the fishbowl. Ganondorf began reciting the same Old Hylian chant as before, adding several new verses near the end. Once the last syllable had left his lips, he stepped back and waited expectantly.

After a minute had passed, a strong wind blew a window open, whirling about the room as the circle surrounding the fishbowl began to glow. The Dark Hogs zipped up their jackets and stuck their hands in their pockets, trying to lean away from the wind without actually moving. Bowser and Wario were openly shivering, Wario attempting to give a dirty look to the air itself. Only Ganondorf remained as he was, gazing intently at the now terrified goldfish.

After whirling about the bowl several times, the wind dissipated, the glow of the circle disappearing as it did so. Silence fell over the room.

Bowser was the first to speak. "Did it work?"

"I don't think so," the fish's owner replied. "Goldie doesn't look like he's changed at all."

"Goldie?" one of the other bikers said incredulously, laughing out loud. Sniggers broke out among the bikers.

"My daughter named him, okay? She's six," the fish's owner said defensively. "Lay off."

"Enough, all of you," Ganondorf said sternly, quieting the men. "Observe. The summoning has succeeded."

The bikers looked back over to the fishbowl, the goldfish inside visibly changing. The fish was swelling at an alarming rate, growing larger every second. Its scales turned from orange to a deep purple, its eyes glowing a pale green. Several purple tentacles sprouted from its lower back, trailing limply in the water behind it. The fish's mouth expanded and lengthened into a long round tube. The entire process took less than two minutes.

Fully transformed, the goldfish was now the size of a baseball, lazily drifting around the bowl. Floating towards the Dark Hogs, it seemed to glare at them with its enlarged green eyes.

The bikers were astounded, having never seen anything like this in their entire lives. The fish's owner was on the point of tears, unable to look at what had once been his beloved Goldie.

"What did you do to it?" one of the men breathed, turning to stare at Ganondorf in wonder.

"I merged it with one of my own creatures," Ganondorf replied, unable to keep the smile off his face. "An Octorok, to be precise."

"But did it work?" Bowser pressed. "Can this thing hurt humans?"

"An excellent question," Ganondorf stated, walking up to the fishbowl. "It is time we had an answer. Attack, my pet!" he commanded, pointing directly at the Dark Hogs.

As soon as Ganondorf gave the order, the fish began to swim up to the top of the bowl. Once it had reached the surface, it started pushing itself backwards, moving into position and sticking its face out of the water. Shuddering and convulsing, the fish leaned its head back – and spit a rock the size of a gumball into the air.

The rock arced towards the bikers, striking one of them on the temple. "Ow!" the unfortunate man complained, rubbing his forehead. "That hurt!"

"I think that would be a yes," Ganondorf said triumphantly to Bowser and Wario.

He turned back to the Dark Hogs. "The test has been completed. You may depart now, as the next phase of the plan does not require any of you. The three of us shall instigate our next attack against the Smashers tonight. Whether we win or lose, return here tomorrow morning for further instruction. That is all." The Dark Hogs promptly began to file out the door.

"One last thing," Ganondorf interjected, halting the men in their tracks. "I would advise all of you to remain in your homes tonight. We want as few unnecessary deaths as possible."

Trading uneasy glances, the bikers exited the building.

* * *

_I wonder if Sael knows they're here, _Elyan thought quietly. _After it's been all over the TV and in the papers._

Jeremy's temper, never far below the surface since spending three years in the dark, flared once more. _I'm sick of hearing about Sael! How do you even know she's on this world? Even if she is, you won't find her._ _You know something, Elyan? There are billions of people on this planet, and you have no idea of her name or where she might live. There's no way you can find her. Just give up already!_

"Uhh... Jer? You okay?"

Jeremy looked up to see Alicia giving him an odd look. He put his head in one hand. "Leesh... did I say that out loud?"

Alicia nodded. "Jer... you've been talking to yourself more and more in the past day or two. Is something the matter?"

_Tell her, _Elyan said. _Maybe Alicia can help. Tell her, please!_

_I don't want to worry her,_ Jeremy thought back. _I can handle this._

"Jer," Alicia said. "You're doing it again. Talking to yourself."

_Look, _Elyan thought, forceful but not angry. _If you're not going to tell her, I will._ Elyan pushed his way past Jeremy's mental hold on their body. "Alicia, I need help," he said.

She walked over to him, touching his arm. "What's the matter?"

He smiled a little. "Well," he said, "If I was a psychiatrist, I'd say I have multiple personality disorder."

Alicia stared blankly for a second, then snapped to attention. "Explain, please."

"It's like this," Elyan said. "When IO captured Jeremy's mind, however she did it, though the gate, she tried to wipe the memories out of it for use in a synthetic human 'Operator'. But Jeremy's soul had an incredibly strong hold on its memories. So she took the parts that make Jeremy himself, and pushed them to the side, locking them up in a corner of his mind and sealing them with magic. Jeremy was locked away in the darkness... leaving the other half of him - the part that has no name. Later on, when developing its own self, that part took on a name - Elyan. Jeremy and I have been split in two, and now there appear to be two personalities fighting over the same body."

Alicia put her head in her hands. "Oh, god," she said.

"Quite a mess," Samus observed. "By the use of 'Jeremy and I', I'm guessing this is Elyan?"

Elyan nodded. "What do I... we... do about this?"

"Therapy?" Alicia suggested dryly. "But no therapist would ever believe that."

Link shrugged. "I don't know how that works. In a possession case, Zelda once told me that one soul needs to be removed. But you two are one soul split in half... I don't have an answer."

"Perhaps if-a we went home, we could ask-a ROB to make another body for Elyan?" Mario suggested.

"None of you seem particularly surprised at this," Alicia said, looking from one Smasher to another. "Two minds, both part of one soul, in one body? And none of you are surprised."

Samus shrugged. "Compared to some of the tangles we've seen? This is _nothing_."

"But what do we _do_?" Jeremy asked, in the forefront again. "We're both gonna go nuts!"

"Try to deal for now, I guess," Alicia said. "We'll have to think about this."

* * *

At precisely 10:06 P.M., a teleportation sphere appeared inside Little Hill Cemetery, depositing Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario. The three of them looked around, examining their surroundings.

Wario groaned. "Aw, a graveyard? I hate dese places! Dey give me da creeps."

"Truth be told, I am not particularly fond of these places either," Ganondorf admitted, crouching down to examine a gravestone. "But this location contains precisely what we need to kill the Smashers."

"What, _dis_ place?" Wario exclaimed, indicating the area around him with a disbelieving snort. "Dere's nothin' special about a graveyard! Everythin' here's _dead_."

"Precisely," Ganondorf replied ominously, scooping up a handful of grave dirt and letting it slowly pass through his fingers.

Bowser stepped closer to him, shivering slightly. "How'd you know where to find this place, anyway?" he inquired. "I don't remember you talking to any of the humans about a graveyard."

"Simple magic, really," Ganondorf responded, still looking over the grave. "I invoked a spell that would transport us to the nearest location of a large quantity of corpses. All I needed to do was to use that spell in conjunction with the teleportation spell, and here we are."

"I see," Bowser said, looking from side to side nervously. "Listen, whatever you're going to do here, please do it fast. I hate graveyards too, and I'd like us to leave as soon as we can." "Not to worry, my friend," Ganondorf stated, rising to his feet. "This will take but a moment."

Throwing his head back, Ganondorf yelled a sentence in Old Hylian. His words echoed through the cemetery long after his shout, resonating with a powerful energy.

For a moment, there was silence.

A dry rustling could be heard in the background, accompanied by a continuous scratching sound. The grave dirt shook and crumbled apart, being rocked by unseen tremors just below it. Wario and Bowser eyed the ground nervously, their teeth chattering now from fear as well as cold.

Suddenly, a bony hand burst through the earth, clumps of earth falling from the fingers. Wario let out a cry of fright, darting behind Bowser for protection. He peered out from behind the Koopa, watching the sight before him continue to unfold.

A brown skull had broken through the surface right next to the hand, its body rising upward through the dirt and into the open air. The tattered remains of a black suit hung loosely off its frame, a moth-eaten brown tie slipping off and fluttering to the ground. The corpse, now fully free of the ground, stood in a hunched position, staring at Ganondorf with its empty eye sockets.

Noises beyond the standing corpse drew the trio's attention. All across the graveyard, bodies were hauling themselves out of the ground in a similar fashion. The air began to fill with grunts and moans as each corpse got to its feet.

"What are they?" Bowser half-whispered, frozen in terror.

"Our army," Ganondorf replied, staring down the corpses with no sign of fear.

When the last of the reanimated had climbed from its grave, Ganondorf spoke. "I have called you from your eternal rest for one purpose!" he yelled loudly. "You all must venture out and destroy the ones known as the Smashers! I will give you their names: Mario, Link, Samus! Do you understand me? Kill Mario, Link, Samus! Kill Mario, Link, Samus! _**Kill Mario, Link, Samus!!**_"

The corpses all moaned in unison, taking up the chant themselves. _"Mario, Link, Samus, Mario, Link, Samus," _they croaked. _"Mario, Link, Samus,_ _Mario, Link, Samus…"_

They began to turn and slowly walk out of the cemetery, moving in slow, jerky motions. Their chant continued as they left, drowning out all other noise in the vicinity.

Ganondorf watched them go, smiling in triumph. "Watch, my friends, for this is something that few men will ever see. On this night, the dead shall rise from their slumber and begin their hunt. They are monstrous, frightening, and beyond the comprehension of ordinary persons. Some will flee from their approach. Others will refuse to accept their existence. A handful will stand and fight. But none shall survive them. Tonight, death walks among the living. And there is no escape. Mark well this night, my friends, for tonight…the ReDead walk among us."

* * *

"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand."

-Frank Herbert

* * *

U92: Did you _really_ think Mayberry was going to figure everything out so soon? He's only human, after all. He's bound to make mistakes.

And yet again, I write comedy for the villains. My muse must be trying to tell me something, but I have no idea what it is.

I have no idea where I got the idea for the Octorok goldfish from. Interesting visual, though.

Next chapter: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! (ReDead apocalypse, really. But you all know what I mean.)

On a side note, I highly recommend the new Fox show _Dollhouse_. Great stories, interesting characters, and one hell of a concept. As an added bonus, Agent Paul Ballard looks and sounds **exactly** how I picture Sam Mayberry. Freaky, but cool.

Sue2: Poor Jeremy/Elyan. They're gonna go crazy.  
Okay, something tells me something epic is coming up next chapter. Tune in for (I hope) an epic battle scene involving redeads!

REVIEW!


	13. Dawn of the ReDead

U92: Uploaded a little later than we wanted, but super long to compensate! Super Power Zombie Invasion Fight Scene Chapter Go!

Sue2: Ultiman, you kill me sometimes. That _title_! But that's not a bad thing. :D  
YEEES EPIC ZOMBIE FIGHT SCENES.  
Let's go!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Twelve-

_Dawn of the ReDead_

* * *

The ReDead shambled through the city blocks, uttering the names of the Smashers in low, throaty voices. They wandered from street to street, walking down both roads and sidewalks as they searched for their prey. Those unlucky enough to cross their path during the night were immediately set upon by the ghoulish creatures, which chomped and bit at every piece of flesh they could reach.

Some did manage to escape the ReDead, having either turned and ran the second they caught sight of them, or managing to beat them off with whatever objects were available to them. These survivors ran as far as they could, warning everyone they met about the monstrous figures on the streets. Eventually, word of what was happening spread to the mayor. A city-wide lockdown was immediately issued, ordering all civilians to stay in their houses until the crisis was over. This came far too late for most families, who were forced to cower in terror inside their own homes as the ReDead roamed past them.

By morning, they were everywhere.

* * *

_Mayberry slowly walked up the path to his front door, steeling himself for what he would find inside. It had been just over three weeks since he had been taken to a government base for questioning by the suits. _

_After being intensely grilled on the confidential information he had overheard from Devlin, Mayberry had attempted to leave when he was stopped by security guards. Demanding an explanation, he was told that while he was in questioning, an accident had occurred in Devlin's lab. One of the prototype gates had malfunctioned, leaving two teenage interns of the project in comas. As Devlin had been injured in the accident, Mayberry was the only available person who knew anything about the gate and what might have caused the teenagers' condition. He was to be kept at the government facility until further notice._

"_Further notice" turned out to be quite longer than he expected, as Mayberry was continually drawn back in for questioning concerning new developments in the investigation of the accident. The longer these interrogations dragged on, the angrier Mayberry became at the men questioning him. His continued protests at his state of captivity gradually turned to accusations, then to outright threats, complete with inappropriate gestures to hammer the point home. The interrogators remained impassive throughout all this, patiently repeating their questions until he finally caved and answered them. After a solid week of this treatment, Mayberry lapsed into a broken silence, answering every question in a tired, dull tone of voice._

_At long last, the officials at the facility determined that they could wring no more information out of Mayberry. With great reluctance, they allowed him to return home to his family._

_Mayberry inserted his key into the keyhole, beginning to unlock the door. To his surprise, the door swung open the instant he touched the doorknob. _

_He frowned. Lorraine _never_ left the door unlocked during the day. Something was wrong._

"_Hello?..." Mayberry called out confusedly, stepping into his house and shutting the door behind him. He went from room to room, searching for any sign of his wife and daughter. There was no trace of either of them, with the entire house looking as if it had been untouched for weeks. A feeling of dread began to form in Mayberry's chest._

_A small red light flashed out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, Mayberry saw his answering machine's "new message" light blinking. With trembling fingers, he reached out and pushed the "play" button. A loud beep sounded from the machine. "Mr. Samuel Mayberry, this is a message from the California Department of Child Care Services."_

Oh God no, _Mayberry thought to himself._

"_Two days ago, your wife Lorraine Mayberry was hospitalized following a suicide attempt. She is currently being evaluated for psychiatric treatment and physical therapy. Given her current mental state, she has lost all custody rights to your daughter Naomi Mayberry. Ordinarily Naomi would be immediately transferred to your care, but your line of work has an unpredictable schedule, sometimes requiring you to be away from home for 24 hours or more. Therefore, your daughter has been placed in foster care for the time being, but we are willing to provide you with an opportunity to regain custody of her. In one week from today, you may petition the court to demonstrate that you have made adequate accommodations to care for the child while you are away. If your petition is unsuccessful, she will remain in foster care. You may contact Elaine Kimball at our office if you have any questions." _

_Mayberry hit another button on the machine, restarting the message. An automated voice droned out that the message had been sent two weeks ago._

_A cold numbness spread through his body. Moving away from the answering machine, Mayberry slowly walked into his bedroom and sat down on the side of the bed. Putting his head in his hands, he began to sob, his body rocking back and forth._

* * *

There was a bump.

Mayberry jolted awake, blinking confusedly and rubbing his eyes. He shifted in his seat, yawning and looking around.

He was alone inside a subway car, the train rushing along through an underground tunnel. The sight sparked a rush of memories, ending his temporary post-sleep amnesia. He had been searching around the Wholesale District yet again, having no other leads to act on. Just as before, no one had seen or heard of any biker gang around the neighborhood in the past few days. Continuing his search well into the night, Mayberry was forced to call it quits once his eyelids started to grow heavy. He was taking the train back home, in hopes of getting some sleep before resuming the investigation in the morning.

The train screeched to a halt at his station, the doors opening with a hiss. Mayberry stepped outside, walking towards the stairway that led to the surface.

A scream sounded from the top of the stairs, causing him to stop in his tracks. _Is somebody in trouble?_

Several other shrieks along with the frantic sound of running feet answered his query. Mayberry quickly jogged up the stairs and emerged onto the open street, analyzing the situation.

All around him, panicked passersby were rushing down the street, taking no notice of any items they dropped or people they pushed aside. They were being pursued by groups of ReDead, arms outstretched as though asking for an embrace. The air was filled with screams and repeated moans of "_Mario, Link, Samus."_ It was complete pandemonium.

Mayberry's mouth dropped open, his brain unable to accept what he was seeing. He looked closely at the shambling creatures, confirming that his eyes were not playing tricks on him. _Zombies,_ he thought faintly. _Los Angeles is under attack by hordes of zombies. I've officially seen everything._

A few stragglers in the advancing groups of ReDead noticed the isolated, motionless human watching them. With ghastly howls, they changed direction and began to stumble towards him. Mayberry stepped back defensively, his hands immediately flying to the holsters on his belt – which were lying on his dresser several blocks away in his apartment.

He swore loudly, turning and running away as fast as he could. The ReDead followed, awkwardly lurching their way after him on their decomposing legs.

Mayberry grimaced, his legs pumping hard. _I really need a weapon._

* * *

"Alicia! Leesh, you have to wake up!" Someone was shaking her shoulders.

Alicia groggily opened her eyes. Jeremy. "What's up?"

"The TV!" Jeremy said. "There's another attack!"

"Right," Alicia said. She'd prepared herself for this after the last one. She nodded. "Get Mario, Link, and Samus up. Give them something quick to eat."

When Jeremy ran out of the room, Alicia quickly dressed - jogging pants and a T-shirt for easy movement. She ran downstairs to find the other four getting ready. Jeremy - Elyan probably, based on his expression, was wrapping the centre of his curtain rod with duct tape. Link was stretching, dressed already. Mario was doing the same. Samus was strapping on her Power Suit, putting her gun back in the arm. The three of them looked at Alicia as she walked in.

"What's attacking?" Alicia asked.

Link frowned. "ReDeads," he said. "They're basically zombies. Ganondorf again, it has to be."

"Where to first?" Alicia asked.

"Where will the most people be now?" Samus asked.

Alicia cocked her head to one side. "Umm... near the residential areas, probably, at this time of the morning."

"Then let's-a go there," Mario said.

"Right," Alicia said. She pulled a handful of granola bars out of the cupboard and tossed it to them, keeping one for herself. "Take off the wrappers and eat them in the car," she called, not wanting the other three to repeat Jeremy's mistake of trying to eat the wrapper. The five dashed for Alicia's car, and she drove off at top speed.

* * *

The morning sun was a beautiful thing, and it wasn't so hot. The dew felt nice on Sael's skin, even though it dampened her clothes. She closed her eyes, remembered a morning, about a year ago. She and Elyan had been roaming the world together, free at last. The dewy morning, the sunrise, the hope it offered - Sael had lain in the grass then too. If she imagined hard enough... she could almost be there. She could almost hear him laughing. _"Sael, you're getting wet."_ Could almost hear the love in his voice.

That is, until shuffling footsteps and moaning voices split the air. Anger rose in her. _Why can't they just leave me alone?_

Then she listened more carefully to the voices. Not her parents. Not the people on their street, who treated her like she was blind, deaf and four years old. It was a sort of moaning, a sort of decayed sound.

When she opened her eyes, a deformed, rotted face looked down at her.

Pure instinct caused her to roll to the side as it reached for her, and she leaped to her feet. There were six of them. _Oh_ _crap… are these zombies?_ She backed up a step, evaluating her choices. These six were moving into a circle around her, so she had to do something fast.

Instinct took over once more, and Sael turned and ran.

* * *

Samus leaped out of Alicia's car, Link and Mario hot on her heels. ReDead were infesting the street.

"Let's split up," Samus said.

Link and Mario nodded. Samus ran towards the nearest group of ReDeads, and the other two split off to find their own to fight.

Samus' charge was quickly noticed by the ReDeads, but they were slow to react. She fired a small, quick burst of energy into one of them, throwing it backwards against the boards of a house, and kicked another. Grimacing and feeling grateful for her boots, she yanked her foot out of the ReDead's chest. As she did, another grabbed her ankle. Samus was knocked off balance and she spun for a moment, but it was long enough to charge up an energy blast and destroy the corpse. Pulling a small bomb out of a pocket in her suit and placing it in the centre of her clenched fist, she punched into the last ReDead and left the bomb ticking inside.

The ashes barely touched the road before Samus was racing off once more, searching for more prey.

"Link!" Mario called from behind, launching a fireball.

Link whipped around to see a decaying body fall, burning, to the ground. He only had time to shoot Mario a small smile before slicing through the arm of another ReDead. The arm fell to the ground, and Link ran his sword through its chest and shook it away. He grabbed the arms of another ReDead and swung it in a circle around him, knocking its fellows back a few feet, before readying his sword and attacking once more. He quickly depleted the throng around him, but soon he was once more surrounded.

_How many of these things did he summon? _Link wondered. _They're everywhere!_

Mario backed up a couple of steps. The ReDead grouped in front of him, slowly shuffling forwards. He stepped back again, keeping just ahead of the pack of zombies. They continued to follow him. Every muscle in his body tensed, and his clenched fists burned with suppressed heat.

The zombies were packed close enough together now. Mario leaped backwards and released a flurry of fire. The ReDeads were disintegrated quickly, but Mario had allowed too much fire to build up in his hands - it kept coming.

Clamping down with his will, Mario felt the heat radiating from him start to disappear. Slowly, his hands cooled. But the bush behind the ReDead pack had caught fire. _Water... water..._ he thought, looking around.

Suddenly, crystalline water splashed on the ground, dousing the bush fire. A young girl peeked, frightened, out of the window of her house. She was holding a bowl. "Y-you okay, mister?"

"I am-a now," Mario said, smiling up at her. "Thanks-a to you."

"Go get 'em!" the kid laughed. "You're the coolest!" Then, she turned back towards her house and screamed out loud. "It's in here! Help me, mister!"

"Just-a jump!" Mario shouted. "I'll-a catch you!"

The girl turned back to the window. Fear was in her eyes. "But..."

"Just-a trust me!" Mario called.

The girl nodded. Putting her hands on the sill, she leaped out. Mario jumped in the air and caught her in his arms. "I got you," he said softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tight.

Zombies still roamed the area, and her house obviously wasn't safe. What was he going to do with her?

"Mario!" Samus called. It was as if she was reading his mind. "You keep fighting. I'll take her to Alicia!" A moment later, she was in front of him. He put the child in her arms. "It's okay," Samus said softly, stroking the girl's hair. "Now hold on tight." She took off at a run, past the growing packs of ReDead beginning to surround them.

Mario grimly lit his hands once more and returned to the battle.

* * *

Samus raced through the street, carrying the little girl in her arms. "It's okay," she said. "I've got you now." She looked around for Alicia's blue car. Where were they?

"Samus!" Link shouted. Samus felt something gripping the back of her helmet. Another latched on to her arm as soon as she slowed.

Soon she was surrounded by ReDead, snapping and biting and trying to yank the child out of her arms. As long as she was carrying the little girl, she couldn't reach her weapons.

"Curl up really tight," Samus said to the girl. The kid silently obeyed, eyes wide with terror. Samus wrapped herself around the girl, covering as much of her exposed body as possible. ReDead clawed at her sides and the back of her head.

Samus heard a wordless yell of anger. She felt something wrench the corpses off, one by one. Samus stayed where she was until the last ReDead slid off. She lifted her head to see Link, whirling and attacking with all his strength.

"Give me the kid," Link said. "You get some bombs ready - Alicia's car is surrounded by ReDead."

* * *

Link took the little girl in his arms, sheathing his sword. "It's okay, sweetheart," he said. "You're safe."

The child had her head buried in Link's shoulder, and tears were leaking out of her eyes. Samus ran a step ahead of Link, sending out blasts of energy and targeting rockets, whirling around her with her whip. Link spoke in soft tones to the little girl, soothing her as they ran. "We'll protect you - nothing will hurt you. I promise."

A moment later, they stopped. Samus whirled around, charged up a gigantic blast of energy. She wiped out zombie after zombie as Link dodged the swipes of their stiff fingers, spinning the child around to keep himself between her and harm.

A moment later, the car door opened. Alicia took the child from Link, wordlessly passing her to Elyan. She dove back in, slamming the door shut once more. A ReDead struggled, its fingers caught in the back hinge of the door. Link stabbed it, and the two of them ran back into the fight.

* * *

Coincidentally, Mayberry was exactly parallel to the Smashers on an adjacent street at the moment he finally ran out of breath. Panting and gasping, he stopped in his tracks, leaning against a lamppost for support. The ReDead seized this opportunity, staggering closer and closer to him with increasingly hungry moans.

Mayberry glanced back at them, sighing. "No weapons, no plan, no backup," he muttered under his breath. "I've faced worse odds."

The ReDead closest to him suddenly lunged forward, its extended arms frantically grasping for him. Mayberry dodged to one side, punching the corpse in the head as the creature went past him. The head snapped completely off its body with a loud crack, releasing a stream of purple mist from the hole at the top of the neck. By the time the magical energy had completely drained out, the body had lost whatever was holding it together. It fell to the ground, shriveling into a pile of bones and rags.

The other ReDeads shrunk away from Mayberry, wary after seeing what had happened to their comrade. They began shuffling to the right, surrounding him in a circle of the undead. Mayberry crouched into a fighting stance, waiting for them to make their move.

The first two that attacked were met with a series of powerful kicks and punches aimed at their heads and chests. They were quickly dismembered by Mayberry's swift, surgical blows, spewing forth purple mist and crumpling into dust together.

The rest of the ReDeads immediately threw caution to the winds and attacked Mayberry en masse, teeth snapping and nails scratching wildly. Mayberry fought them off as best he could, punching away any that came too close. Sensing an opening, one got around behind him and bit down hard on his shoulder.

Mayberry yelled in pain, jerking himself away from the creature chewing on his flesh. Seized by a sudden, throbbing anger due in no small part to the new wound on his shoulder, he grabbed the ReDead savagely by the arm and pulled it in front of him. Reaching forward, Mayberry stuck his fingers in its eye holes and sinus cavity and pulled hard, wrenching the creature's head from its shoulders. While the headless body dropped to the ground, Mayberry smacked another of the ReDeads directly in the face, using the head as a boxing glove. Both heads shattered under the force of his powerful blow.

Uttering an animalistic cry, Mayberry yanked the arm off a ReDead and started attacking the remaining undead with it. Again and again he struck out with the arm, tearing apart chests and snapping off limbs. He was a whirlwind of blind rage, lashing out at anything that was still standing. The ReDeads never had a chance.

Quite suddenly, it was over. Mayberry found himself surrounded by inert piles of flesh and bone, with veritable amounts of gore on his pants, jacket, and hands. With full clarity returning to him, he finally noticed what he was holding in his right hand. He tossed the ReDead arm onto one of the piles, shivering in revulsion. He wiped his hands on his jacket, stepping gingerly away and down the street.

He resumed his run, at a more leisurely pace now that he wasn't actively being pursued. Mayberry shuddered again at the thought of what he'd been doing with the ReDead arm. _I __really__ need a weapon._

* * *

Sael continued to run. But where was she going to go? ReDead were slow, but they just kept following her. She was going to run out of breath eventually.

A memory popped into her head. Mr. Stanton had given her a piece of paper at the ice cream shop. _"If you ever need help, or if you have any big problems with your parents, call me. Here's my address and phone number."_

She looked at the piece of paper. _I know where this street is!_ She thought. _It's not so far from here. I can make it! ... I hope._

* * *

A tense silence filled the car. The child was quietly crying into the seat and shaking with terror. Elyan was gently patting her on the head, stroking her hair. "It's okay," he whispered. "My name's Elyan. What's yours?"

"M-megan," she whispered hoarsely.

"Megan," Elyan repeated. "That's nice. You're okay now. Don't you worry. Those three are strong warriors and good people - it'll all be okay."

"Yeah," she said.

* * *

Sael continued to run. _Almost there... I sure hope Mr. Stanton is home..._

She tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, but righted herself and continued to run. _Okay, the address is 5223._ _This is 5210. 5211... it should be down this side street._ She turned quickly, dodging two more ReDead. _Almost there..._

* * *

"Oh my God," Alicia whispered. "Jer. Look."

Elyan peered out of the window beside Alicia. A pair of young teenagers holding sticks were running as fast as they could, pursued by a pack of ReDead. The girl stumbled, tripping the boy as well. The two tumbled in a heap on the ground.

Before Elyan could stop her, Alicia threw open the car door. "Megan, stay here!" she called, running towards the two teens.

Elyan closed the door behind himself, shutting Megan in. Holding his curtain rod in one hand, he raced after Alicia. She was helping the teens to their feet, supporting the limping boy.

* * *

_23! _Sael thought, spotting the house she wanted. She hammered on the door as the ReDead approached the step. "Mr. Stanton! Help me! Mr. Stanton!"

No sound came from inside the house.

* * *

Suddenly, Alicia was yanked backwards by a rotting hand. She screamed.

At the sound of her scream, Jeremy's panic took over. The curtain rod fell, useless, to the ground. Jeremy shoved the teenagers towards safety, shouting, "Get in the car!" then he raced towards Alicia.

_Jeremy, stop! _Elyan mind-shouted. _Calm down! You don't know how to fight!_

But Jeremy didn't respond. "You-" he swore violently. "Nobody touches my sister!" Pulling back a fist, he punched the ReDead as hard as he could. It was knocked slightly back, releasing Alicia. Jeremy dove at it and began wrestling with the corpse, ignoring the rotting smell and Alicia's frantic shouts. But ReDeads are very strong when it's a matter of getting a hold of you - that's what they're best at.

Another ReDead joined the pile, and Jeremy felt the breath being crushed out of him. His sight began to blur.

Faintly, he heard someone scream. "NO!" One ReDead was yanked off of him. Alicia stood over him, holding the curtain rod in one hand and hitting the remaining corpse with that and her fist. She pulled Jeremy to his feet, yanking him with her towards the car.

* * *

The ReDead grabbed Sael just as the door opened. Mr. Stanton had a long, sharp kitchen knife in his hand, and he thrust it through the head of the corpse holding her. "Sael," he said. He pulled her in the door and slammed it behind them. "Sael. You were almost killed!" He pulled her into a tight hug. She shook with fear. "Why did you come here?" he asked. "Did something happen to your family?"

Sael shook her head. "No, they're all..." she froze. "Oh, _no_! I was outside when the zombies attacked... I left them in the house!"

* * *

The car door slammed behind them. The teenagers were shaking in the back seat with Megan, and Jeremy and Alicia had jumped into the front seats. Alicia pulled Jeremy into a hug, and he could feel she was shaking. "Oh my God, Jer," she said. "Please... please don't do that ever again." Jeremy pulled her closer.

"I couldn't let them get you, Leesh," he said. "I just couldn't. But we're both okay now. Don't run off without me next time."

"I won't," Alicia promised.

* * *

Mr. Stanton held Sael back, keeping her from opening the door. "Sael," he said, "If you go out there you'll be killed."

"Even if I don't like them, I should have tried to save them first," Sael said. "That's what Ike did when Bowser was caught..." she looked down.

"Sael," Stanton said. Sael looked up to see his concerned, fearful expression. But was that pride somewhere in there...? "Sael, I'm not much for battle tactics, and from what you've told me about your friends, I'm sure Marth could explain this much better, but you did all you could."

"How?" Sael cried out. "I just ran. Even if I don't like them I should have helped them."

"Sael!" Stanton said. Sael quieted down and looked at him. "There was a group of them, right?" he asked. "And all of them pursued you?"

Sael nodded. Stanton continued. "Well, if all of them pursued you, then none of them are still at your family's house. You saved your family by running. You... drew off the enemy." he smiled. "I don't think that if they were unarmed, Marth, Ike, or even Roy could have done much better. You did well, Sael, and the police will have been called out now. They'll be okay."

Sael nodded and hugged Stanton once more. "Thank you," she said.

* * *

Mayberry hurried down the stairs of his apartment building, wearing a fresh change of clothes and cradling a gun in each hand. Inwardly he chastised himself for taking so long. The L.A.P.D. still had yet to get involved, and he remained one of the only ones on the street capable of fighting back. It was on him to take out as many as he could.

Mayberry burst through the double doors and onto the street, his face a mask of determination. He flicked off the safeties on both handguns, preparing to charge out and return to the fight.

Before he could take more than three steps, a loud, wavering siren went off, originating from multiple points across the city.

_The Attack Warning signal,_ Mayberry realized with a groan. _They've just declared this an official attack against the city. That means that anyone who isn't "officially" fighting the zombies has to head indoors and stay there until the crisis is resolved. Including me._

He turned around, unceremoniously stuffing his guns back in their holsters as he slunk back inside. _And __just__ when I actually have a weapon. Figures._

* * *

Link felt a wave of heat and air approaching, and he dodged one of Mario's fireballs before whipping his sword through a badly burned ReDead. The three were fighting together, completely encircled by a huge mass of ReDead - they had congregated from seemingly everywhere, surrounding the three of them and fighting with unrestrained ferocity.

A moment later, the ReDead began to fall... from the outside. Gunshots rang in the air, deafening Link's keen ears. He cringed with pain, but kept fighting.

With their mystery assistants on the outside and the three of them on the inside, the majority of the ReDead didn't last long. Soon, they could see who'd been helping them - a group of men and women all wearing unfortunately very familiar uniforms. Link tried to hide the recognition on his face - maybe they wouldn't know them by sight.

"Stand down!" a woman shouted at the three of them. "Go inside your homes! Anyone not deployed by the government to combat the attack must stay inside!"

"Trust me," a young man said, running up to them. He smiled. "You three are amazing, you're heroes, but go inside... the vigilantes always get killed."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Link said politely to the young man. "These are our enemies - people might get hurt. We have to stay and fight."

"You don't understand," the young woman said, running over as well. "That was an order. Get out of here!" She stopped, stared at Samus a moment. "Wait... have we met before?"

Samus quickly shook her head. "Not that I'm aware," she said.

"Really?" the woman asked. "Because I'm sure I've seen that suit before..."

"You're right," Link said. "We should get out of here. There's a little girl and a pair of teenagers we'll need you to find a safe place for, and then we'll be going." he grabbed Samus by the arm and pulled her away. Mario followed quickly.

"That was a close one," Link said as Alicia pulled up beside them, threw open the doors. "Next time, maybe you should leave the Power Suit."

"Or," Alicia suggested, "you could paint it camouflage colors and say it's an army prototype. Are you three okay?"

They looked at each other and nodded. "We'll be fine. You two?"

"We're good," Jeremy said. "But let's get out of here."

"Good plan," Link agreed. He shut the door behind him and Alicia stepped on the gas.

* * *

Bowser and Wario were sitting on crates in the warehouse, exchanging idle chatter while listening to the noises of battle in the background. Ganondorf was standing several feet away from them, staring out the window at the battle on the streets.

They had been in these exact positions for several hours when Ganondorf abruptly turned away from the window, walking towards the others. Bowser and Wario fell silent, looking up expectantly at their companion and waiting for whatever news he had for them.

Ganondorf appeared to be straining to remain calm. "They have all been destroyed, just as before," he said evenly. "It seems I have failed yet again."

"Well…it's not really your fault, is it?" Bowser hedged. "Maybe the Smashers were just stronger than any of us thought they were."

Ganondorf shook his head tightly. "My ReDead were slaughtered quickly, utterly, and completely," he stated in the same even tone, his fists beginning to clench. "The Smashers once again received assistance from the humans. There can be no doubt about this fact."

Wario sat up, looking surprised. "Da humans stood up ta us _again_? Damn, they're braver than I gave 'em credit for."

"Indeed," Ganondorf agreed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "The resilience of the humans against invasion is most surprising. This development requires a definite change to our strategy. Large armies blindly groping around for three elusive targets cannot succeed if they are so easily decimated. We need to undergo a different approach to our problem, a more surgical strike that will eradicate our enemies cleanly and with little interference. What we need is an assassin, an intelligent being with the singular goal of finding and killing the Smashers. As each of us are for too valuable to send directly into combat-" – Bowser and Wario beamed at the compliment – "-we shall have to use a different being, one of strong mind and body that will obey our orders. We also must devise a way of binding the being to this world."

"Tall order," Wario observed. "So what kinda guy are we talkin' 'bout here?"

"I do not quite know yet," Ganondorf replied. "This will necessitate some thought."

He began to pace up and down the room, his mind already beginning to compose a plan of action. Bowser and Wario settled back down on their boxes and resumed their conversation. They knew from experience that this process took quite awhile.

* * *

Alicia laughed out loud in relief. "Well, you've won the day again. Check this out: it says on the news that all the ReDead have been eliminated. The reporters are singing the praises of... guess who? Not the L.A.P.D. Nope, the whole city's talking about you three."

A little girl was talking to a reporter.

"They're so cool!" she was saying. "I was trapped by a zombie but a really cool man who had been on fire saved me from falling!"

The reporter smiled. "I hope he wasn't on fire when he caught you," he said.

"Nope!" she said. "All the fire was gone! And he was awesome the way he blew up the zombies. Then there was a woman in a cool orange suit with rockets and everything! And she protected me when the zombies tried to eat us both, and then a man with a sword came and carried me to a car! And there was another nice man called Elyan who protected me and his sister, too!"

The reporter laughed as the child was lead away by her mother. "There you have it, folks! Megan Alison, rescued by our mysterious heroes themselves! It seems they have friends as well. Whoever these people are, they deserve our thanks. They're protecting this city. Wherever you are at this moment, if you can see this - thank you. Thank you so much."

Alicia beamed at the three of them. "See that?" she asked. "If Ganondorf wanted public relations, he's doomed now. And you've won the day again!"

The three Smashers smiled at each other.

"I'll make lunch," Alicia said, disappearing into the kitchen. "You three rest. You certainly deserve it!"

Jeremy ran into the kitchen after her. "Wait up, Leesh," he said. "I'll help."

* * *

Sael gasped out loud, staring straight at her television screen. She was completely in shock, unable to believe what the reporter had just said."Elyan..." she whispered. She leaped to her feet, punching a fist in the air in a gesture much like she had drawn for Roy. "He's here! He's here! He's here!"

* * *

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."

- _Dawn of the Dead_ tagline

* * *

U92: Yes, I am aware I used a very punnilicious chapter title. But come on. Did you honestly think I was going to write about a friggin' _zombie invasion_ without at least **one** George A. Romero reference?

So now we know why Mayberry's wife and daughter have only been appearing in flashblacks, as well as why Mayberry hates Project R.E.D. so much. Can't say I blame him, really. If some government agency ruined my life and indirectly tore apart my family, I'd be pretty steamed too.

Man, between the tortured past and his inability to fully join the fight, it kinda seems like I've really got it in for the guy! Ah, the price one has to pay to make their OC not seem like a Sue...

I have to say, Sue2 really impressed me with the interwoven fight scenes and their staggering level of detail. Just when you thought fighting zombies was getting monotonous.

Is anyone actually reading this? Our usual steady tide of reviews has dried up to a small trickle, and it's played havok with our muses. Not much point in posting if we're not getting feedback, is there?

To whoever may be reading this: we want to hear your voices! Positive, negative, indifferent, it doesn't matter! Reviews help make each successive chapter better!

Sue2: I like that end. The reason it was so happy was because A: they had plenty of reasons to be so, and B: I was listening to THIS. http: / / www . youtube . com / watch? v=dPxCyiLe5 Rw&feature=related Take out the spaces and you have something no one could listen to and be sad. Enjoy! Review, please! Ultiman and I are getting really unhappy... it really sucks that nobody likes our stuff.

REVIEW!


	14. The Calm

U92: We are so, so sorry that this chapter is so late. It's been a hectic week for the both of us.

This is another filler chapter, but it's also the LAST filler chapter. That's right, after this every chapter right until the end will have either something important or something cool. That's certainly a plus, isn't it? (grins)

Su2: Sorry my bits are so short for this one! I hope you enjoy the chapter.

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Thirteen-

_The Calm_

* * *

Sael rocked back and forward slightly, then drew up her feet and straightened her legs. The swing started to move and Sael rocked harder. She closed her eyes and swung back once more. Her heart felt lighter than it had in months, despite the tension in her house once Mr. Stanton had announced his intentions of taking temporary custody of her. She wasn't allowed to go to therapy any more, and her parents had decided to go to court. But Elyan was here - everything would be okay.

Sael pumped her legs, sending the swing high into the air. The park was empty and silent but for her. She was lucky it was so close to her house, or she'd have had to stay inside all day. But now Elyan was here.

_Wait, _she thought. _Wait a minute. I know Elyan's here... but he doesn't know I am._ If Elyan had been as frightened as Sael that they had been put on separate worlds or across separate countries, then maybe he had stopped looking. And all she knew was that he was in the city - not where he was or how she could find him.

She thought a moment. Who could help her? _My parents won't help me - they hate even the idea of him. I've been cut off from Mr. Stanton. If I go to the police again they'll just tell my stepmother. Who can I rely on?_

Faces of her friends flashed past her mind. Roy. Marth. The Mistress who had given her the pencils had promised to help her if she ever needed it. Ike. _But they're all back on the other world. I'm gonna have to do this with no help, I guess. But where do I start?_

She pondered her clues. _I know he's here. I know that he met a little kid called Megan. I know he's with the other three and that he's safe._ She frowned. _None of that is much help. He won't have told the kid where he lives, and the reporter doesn't know any more about him than I do._ _Mr. Stanton said he'd look - but even if he finds Elyan he won't be able to talk to me alone to tell me where he is. I've still got nothing._

Sael jumped off the swing, hanging in the air a moment before tumbling to the sand. _I can wait. I guess that's all I can do. Bide my time and prepare to leave at a moment's notice._

Getting to her feet, Sael brushed the sand off of her clothes. She turned and walked back to her house to find a backpack. _I'm sick of all this waiting - I wish there was something I could do._

* * *

"Here you go, sir," the teenager said, sliding Mayberry's suit into a long clear plastic bag. Adjusting the hanger further inside the sleeves, he leaned over the counter and offered it to the waiting detective. Mayberry grasped the top of the hanger and pulled it towards him, inspecting his newly dry-cleaned suit.

Mayberry grimaced, noticing several faded spots of ReDead gore. "You sure you used the spray 'n wash on this?"

"Absolutely," the teen answered firmly. "We added it to your bill, remember?"

Mayberry sighed. "Yes, I remember. Thank you."

He turned to leave, draping the bag holding his suit over his shoulder. Pushing open the door, he stepped out and approached his car, parked right outside the dry cleaners.

Unlocking his car, Mayberry glanced at the stains on his suit and sighed again. Zombies. He still couldn't believe it. A real life, honest-to-God zombie attack right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. And as always, the three saboteurs were involved. He shook his head ruefully. Things just kept getting stranger…and more dangerous.

_BZZZZZ._

Mayberry's cell phone went off, buzzing insistently in his pocket. Throwing his suit into the backseat, he pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, bringing it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Greetings, Mr. Mayberry. I believe I have some information that might be of use to you," a flat, even voice spoke in his ear.

"Who is this? How did you get this number?" Mayberry demanded.

"You may call me Mr. A," the voice replied. "As to how I obtained your number, I'm afraid that's a trade secret. Now, I understand you are investigating six individuals suspected of destroying a powerful machine."

"How did you know that?" Mayberry questioned, his eyes narrowing. "That information requires Level 5 NSA clearance."

"I have eyes and ears everywhere, Mr. Mayberry. Even in places one would consider completely safe." Mr. A sighed impatiently. "Mr. Mayberry, we are both busy men. Do you wish to hear my information or not?"

Mayberry looked around, taking in the number of passers-by. "Not here," he said, lowering his voice. "Meet me at the Midnight Café on the corner of First and Third in an hour. Then I'll listen to what you have to say."

"Very well," Mr. A said, severing the connection.

Link closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree, trying to relax. But he couldn't. Where was Ganondorf now? What was he planning? Why was he, Link, sitting here doing nothing? And Zelda... Link looked down at his boots. He wanted to defeat Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario and find a way home to be with his wife. He was sick of this world.

_I know very well that there's nothing I can do, _Link thought. Ganondorf was in hiding. So was Link. If Link ventured out on a quest to find Ganondorf like he usually did, he'd be found by the police or by whoever Ganondorf's new minions were. Then, more likely than not, he would be shot. He had to wait for Ganondorf to make the next move, to reveal himself once more. Then they could find him, defeat him, and get to work on getting home.

* * *

"Jeremy, please stop pacing, you're driving me crazy." Alicia put her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry," Elyan said. He was tense and unhappy - his dreams had been a perpetual struggle between him and Jeremy for control. He wanted to be around Alicia and he wanted to think about how to find Sael - despite Jeremy's increased irritation Elyan had not given up on her. He sat down on the chair, but soon he was back on his feet.

Jeremy was equally sore - all Elyan could think about was Sael. He wanted his life back! Hiking with Leesh, tending the garden, maybe even returning to university. He didn't want to go looking for Sael. He wanted to forget all about that jerk Devlin and his stupid experiment. But at the moment, Elyan had the upper hand, and Elyan's tension wasn't doing much to help his own. Jeremy knew very well that they couldn't stay like this forever, but what was he supposed to do?

* * *

Samus was feeling sore too, but in a different way. She was feeling homesick. _I've never felt like this before - new worlds and new places have always been interesting and exciting. But then again... have I ever had a home before to miss? _It was a horrible sensation, homesickness - like your heart had been rubbed with sandpaper and you couldn't do a thing about it. She thought hard about it. _I miss Ike, Peach, ROB... my friends. _She sighed, then mentally slapped herself. _Stop chafing, Samus. You've been through worse and survived, but if you moon over them like a lonely little girl then you won't survive this one!_

She decided it was time to get her mind off of her friends. She ran through her options. _I could go inside and monitor the TV for any signs of Ganondorf's activities. But Jeremy and Alicia are already in there and they're both going stir-crazy. I could sit here and mope. I could go for a walk, but I don't really want to. I could get something to eat, but I'm not hungry. I could go talk to Link or Mario. Mario's taking a walk and I don't know exactly where he is, but maybe Link would talk to me._

Samus got to her feet and went to find Link.

* * *

Link heard someone approaching. He opened his eyes. Samus gave him a half smile. "Hi, Link."

"Hi Samus," Link said. He moved over slightly and Samus sat down next to him. She sighed. "You as tired of this as I am?" Link asked her.

Samus nodded. "How are we going to get home?" she asked.

"We'll have to go back to that place once Devlin has rebuilt the gate," Link said. "We'll have to use that mirror to get a message to Zelda about when to send out a signal and then hope they combine like they did before. It could take a while."

Samus was silent.

"D'you miss Ike?" Link asked, suspecting the reason for her moroseness.

"That is none of your business," Samus said. Then she paused again and sighed. "Yeah."

"I know how you feel," Link said.

"And now that we've got nothing to do but wait," Samus put in, "we have the time to sit around and think about it. And it's driving us all crazy."

"I swear he's trying to do this," Link said. "Ganondorf knows we'll be on high alert after that ReDead attack, and he knows how horrible it can be. So he's making us wait."

The thought made Samus almost want to laugh. "Link, you credit your enemy with far too much," Samus said. "Ganondorf is smart, but do you really think he'd go that far? This one's more likely: we've beaten his first two armies, so now he's stumped."

Mario walked into Alicia's backyard. He smiled slightly at the other two. "Anything a-new?"

Link and Samus shook their heads. Mario sat down facing them, his legs crossed.

"We have to get our minds off of this," Samus said. "Let's talk while we wait."

* * *

Mayberry walked into the Midnight Café, scanning the tables for anyone who might be Mr. A. The place was packed with people amicably conversing with each other, creating a low hum of noise in the background. From his vantage point, he could see no one who appeared to be by themselves. Mayberry began to slowly walk through the café, turning his head slightly to examine the patrons. No one looked up or made any effort to get his attention. He came to a halt near the center of the room, having seen no sign of Mr. A and starting to feel foolish.

Mayberry's brow furrowed. Had this meeting been some sort of a test or practical joke? Or had Mr. A simply been unable to find the café? Whatever the reason, it didn't seem as though he was here. Mayberry looked over the room one last time and turned to leave.

Suddenly, he noticed the man sitting patiently in the booth in the far corner, who had been staring intently at him ever since he entered the café. The man was Caucasian, in his late thirties or early forties at the most. He wore a long beige trenchcoat, with a pair of slim, dark sunglasses concealing his eyes. His hair was a rich shade of brown, hanging down over both sides of his face. The man was resting both elbows on the table, fingers laced together as he watched Mayberry.

Realizing that Mayberry had spotted him, the man made an impatient "come here" motion with his right hand, motioning Mayberry over to his booth.

Still marveling at the man's odd appearance, Mayberry walked over and sat down next to him. "Mr. A, I presume."

"You presume correctly," the man replied, inclining his head slightly in acknowledgement. "Now, you are here about the Smashers, correct?"

"Smashers?" Mayberry asked confusedly. "I thought you had information on the saboteurs."

"The Smashers _are_ the saboteurs," Mr. A clarified. "That is their official designation."

"You don't say. Smashers," Mayberry said to himself, mulling over the term. "Sounds rather ominous."

"Some of them are more ominous than others, Mr. Mayberry," Mr. A said, smiling thinly. "It is those individuals in particular who I am concerned with. You have heard the name of Ganondorf, yes?"

Mayberry nodded. "He's the one leading the attacks against the city. The talking lizard works for him, as well as one other man. I don't know that much about any of them, so anything you can provide will be greatly appreciated."

Mr. A leaned back and began to tick off points on his fingers. "Well, let me see. The lizard is known as Bowser, and is a great deal more intelligent than he looks, as I believe you know by now. The man working with Ganondorf is named Wario. All three of them are currently in an alliance whose goal is domination of the world."

Mayberry took all this in slowly, committing everything he heard to memory. "Is there anything else?"

"Well…there is one more thing," Mr. A admitted. Reaching into his trenchcoat, he pulled out a piece of paper with an address and handed it to Mayberry. "This is their current location."

Mayberry stared at what was written on the paper. It was an address in the Wholesale District, just a few blocks away from the waterfront. He'd passed by it a few times on his hunt for Ganondorf and had mostly ignored it. Nothing about the place really stood out to him.

"You're sure I can find them there?" Mayberry asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Quite sure," Mr. A answered smoothly. "My information is infallible. You will find Ganondorf and his associates there."

Mayberry leaned back in his seat, flipping over the piece of paper in his hand absentmindedly. "What's your angle here?" he said after a pause. "Why would you give me this information instead of just tracking them down yourself?"

Mr. A smiled. "Ah, you are quite the clever one, Mr. Mayberry. You are correct; I could confront the Smashers myself. But the time is not yet right for me to show myself. Seeing as how we share a common interest, I thought it beneficial to let you make use of my information."

"Why now?" Mayberry questioned. "Why didn't you contact me earlier, before the attacks started happening?"

"You misunderstand me, Mr. Mayberry. I do not want to prevent these attacks; I merely want to spur them along to their inevitable conclusion. With minimal collateral damage, of course."

Mayberry's eyes narrowed. "And what is the inevitable conclusion of the attacks?"

"I'm afraid you aren't allowed to know that just yet, Mr. Mayberry," Mr. A replied. "Suffice to say, one way or another these attacks will cease. The exact circumstances are - as of this moment - unspecified."

"And you think I can stop Ganondorf and the other 'Smashers' with your information," Mayberry stated skeptically. "All by myself."

"Oh, I do not think you will be able to stop them," Mr. A answered, shaking his head slightly. "You will merely accelerate matters until the conclusion of this conflict is reached. Whether or not you stop Ganondorf and his allies is no concern of mine."

Mayberry stared at him. "I don't understand. What exactly are you trying to do here? Whose side are you on?"

"I am on no one's side but my own. I have found that is best," Mr. A said decisively.

"Then why are you helping me?" Mayberry questioned. "How does that benefit you?"

Mr. A leaned forward, green eyes peering out at Mayberry over the rims of his sunglasses. "As I have said before, it will accelerate events to their conclusion. And I want the conclusion to come as quickly as possible," he said softly. "You see, this conflict is progressing very slowly, far, far too slowly for my taste. If I can introduce a rogue element – that is, to say, yourself – both sides will be forced to deal with someone they may not be able to control. This will force them to take action, setting the stage for the inevitable showdown."

"A rogue element?" Mayberry repeated, his face twisting with disgust. "Is that all you see me as? Is that how you see everyone, just pawns for you to manipulate at your leisure? Who do you think you are, playing with people's lives like some chessmaster? Men like you make me physically sick."

"I care not for your opinion of me, Mr. Mayberry," Mr. A said dismissively. "In any case, I am not orchestrating the actions of others simply for my own desires. Chess, like any other game, is best played with two. And I am quite sure my competitor is as equally anxious for the endgame as I am."

"Well, you can have your little game, but keep me out of it," Mayberry declared. "I'm going to finish my assignment, then try to forget any of this crap exists. I'm grateful you decided to share your information with me, but I don't want anything more to do with you."

"I understand," Mr. A answered levelly, standing up . "Thank you for your time, Mr. Mayberry. I hope you use my information well."

He walked out of the booth, moving purposefully towards the door. Mayberry watched him go, staring after Mr. A with a look of morbid fascination. Just who was this man, anyway? Talking about rogue elements and master plans as though he were some great omnipotent force. Exactly where he fit into the investigation, Mayberry didn't know. All he could determine was that Mr. A had appeared out of nowhere, handed him his best lead in days, and then departed. He shook his head ruefully. It seemed that every day this case threw him something weirder.

As Mr. A stepped through the doorway and onto the street, a sudden breeze picked up, blowing the fringe of his trenchcoat to one side. A pair of jet-black boots was revealed, with a multicolored stripe running up both sides and disappearing beneath the trenchcoat. The colors appeared to be shifting and changing, never staying the same for more than a few seconds.

Mayberry blinked. _That's certainly unusual. Wonder where I can get a pair of those._

The breeze was gone, and the trenchcoat promptly fell back into place once more. Clutching his coat a little more tightly around himself, Mr. A continued out the door and disappeared into the crowd.

Mayberry watched the spot where he had vanished, thinking over his meeting with Mr. A. _Not exactly how my usual meetings with informants go,_ he reflected, _but then again, practically nothing about this case falls under any of my definitions of usual._

* * *

Mr. Stanton looked out the window and sighed. Why on Earth was he doing this? If he won this court case, Sael - Jessica - which ever - would be his responsibility. _You're a therapist - you see problems in all the kids you know. Why is this one different, why are you taking it so personally? Calling Social Services is one thing, but going to court with the parents is another._

He knew the answer. Angela was the answer. _She never truly recovered from the bout of depression that her amnesia gave her. I became a therapist to try to help kids like that. I'm just trying to make a difference. Sael's eighteen anyway - once I teach her enough about the world or she regains her memory, she'll be off on her own._ _I'll have to clean my suit before tomorrow, and gather up Sael's drawings and journals to use as evidence of mistreatment and unhappiness. And of course I'll have to use Sael as my main witness...This won't be easy._

* * *

Wario and Bowser were each curled up on top of a cardboard box, fast asleep. Wario was issuing stilted, loud snorts from his nose, while Boswer's breathing was a gentle rhythm of inhales and exhales. Both had dropped off rather quickly, having grown used to the hard textures and limited space of the tops of the boxes. It wasn't the worst of sleeping arrangements, but both still had twinges of jealousy when they thought of the full-size mattress Ganondorf was sleeping on. The mattress had been a welcome surprise on the first full inspection of the warehouse, as all three had already resigned themselves to their current lack of bedding. After much debate, it was decided that Ganondorf would take the mattress by right of hierarchy. Bowser and Wario agreed that this was for the best, but couldn't help from feeling wistful whenever they passed the mattress during the day. The price of domination was a high one indeed.

"Arise, my friends!" Ganondorf called out, quickly walking into the room. "I have found a suitable candidate! The time for action is at hand!"

Bowser stirred, slowly rising into a sitting position. "Hm? What is it?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, right, the assassin thing. So who is it?"

Wario yawned. "Can it wait? I'd like a bit more shut-eye before we start killin' da Smashers. I need my sleep if I'm gonna commit murder."

Neither Bowser nor Ganondorf could tell if he was kidding.

"Very well, then," Ganondorf replied, looking a little miffed. "I shall call up the assassin tomorrow. You may return to your rest." He swept out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Bowser and Wario gratefully sank back onto their boxes, wriggling into comfortable positions. Within minutes, they were asleep once more.

* * *

"They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm."

-Dorothy Parker

* * *

U92: Did you figure out who Mr. A is? I threw in some pretty big hints, but there's still the possibility that it wasn't clear enough.

I'm not saying any more about the conversation between Mr. A and Mayberry than what's already there. You'll have to work out the rest yourself.

Yes, the villains are living a pretty poor life in the warehouse. I almost feel sorry for them…but then I remember exactly who they are and I feel better.

Sue2: Cool! Mr. Stanton is going to court!  
I honestly have nothing else to say. Review!


	15. Spider's Touch

U92: Over a week behind schedule, but it's here anyway!

My writing blends into Sue2's at a few points in this chapter. See if you can tell where.

This chapter marks the appearance of my favorite New World villain. I hope you like him as much as I do!

Sue2: This chapter is gonna be fun. Fight scenes are interesting. Enjoy!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Fourteen-

_Spider's Touch_

* * *

"Today is a very important day," Ganondorf announced, speaking to the assembled crowd of Dark Hogs. "This day marks the culmination of our efforts. On this day, the Smashers will finally die. I am about to summon an assassin, a thinking, planning creature of mine who shall strike them down where they stand. It will show no mercy and accept no surrender, making their deaths final and absolute. Once it has completed its goal, we will step forward and resume our plan of healing this world."

He paused, waiting for a reaction from the crowd. None came. "Does this not excite you?" he inquired, eyes narrowing.

There were a few noncommittal murmurs from the crowd.

Ganondorf looked displeased. "You will need to show more enthusiasm than that. I will require the assistance of several of you if my plan is to succeed, and the proper mindset is a significant factor to the success of any operation. If at any point I feel that any man is not properly completing his assigned tasks, I will have him terminated instantly. Have I made myself clear?"

Vigorous nodding all around.

"Good. Now, here is what you must do…"

* * *

David Jenison froze. "Wait," he said, holding up a hand. The young witness on the stand, the tense, worried girl who was the centre of this whole scuffle, stared at him with wide eyes. He tried to smile gently. "I didn't hear that very well - please repeat it."

"I-I said..." she began. "I said that s-she refused to let me even call myself by the name I wanted to be called."

"And what was that name?" David asked. "What did you want to be called?"

Big brown eyes looked straight into his for the first time that morning. "S-Sael, Your Honour. My name is Sael."

David nodded. _Sael... Sael...I've heard that name before..._

_"We're still looking for her. He really cares about this Sael... I hope I can find her."_

David sat up straighter. _Alicia!_

"I need to leave for a moment," he said to the court. "I apologise for the delay."

He left the court and made for the washroom. Inside it, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Alicia's number.

* * *

The phone rang. Jeremy, in the middle of making breakfast, leapt up and answered it. "Hello?" he asked.

The voice of a young man spoke. "Hello. Is Alicia there?"

"Yeah," Jeremy said. "Who's calling?"

"David Jenison. I need to talk to her quickly - it's important."

"Just a moment." Jeremy ran up the stairs to Alicia's closed door. "Leesh!" he called, opening the door.

Alicia whirled around. "Jer," she said reproachfully. "Next time, knock. I could have been changing."

Jeremy smiled contritely. "Sorry, Leesh. But this guy says it's important." He held out the phone.

Alicia took the phone. "Hello?" She listened gravely for a moment, then her face lit up. "What? Really? Yes, I'll be right there. Thank you so much Si- David, right. Thank you so much."

Alicia flashed a slightly mischievous smile at Jeremy. "Jer, I've gotta go out for a bit. I'll be back soon - I promise."

"What's up, Leesh?"

Alicia grinned at Jeremy. "Tell you when I get back."

"Alicia," Samus said, running into the room, closing the last buckle on her Power Suit. "There's people running around shouting about another attack. We need to go downtown."

Alicia sighed. "Right," she said. "But I'll have to drop you off - there's something I need to do. I'll pick you up as soon as it's done - it shouldn't take more than about two hours. Jer has a cell now, so he can call me if you need out of there earlier."

Jeremy nodded. "I know how." he patted his pocket. "The phone's right here."

"You three ready?" Alicia asked Samus. She nodded. "Alright - we'll go."

* * *

Alicia pulled up to a curb, letting the car idle. The three Smashers darted out of the car, sprinting down the sidewalk. Jeremy followed, holding his curtain rod. Waving them off, Alicia put her foot on the accelerator and drove away.

The Smashers came to a halt at an intersection, recognizing the scene before them from what they'd seen on the news.

Several men in leather outfits were running around the streets and the sidewalks, yelling at the top of their lungs about how monsters were attacking the city and the end of the world. Cars were waiting all over the intersection, impatiently honking at the men to stop running in and out of the streets. Passerby on the sidewalks increased their pace as they went past the screaming men, unsure of whether or not to take them seriously. News crews were scattered about the intersection, blank-faced reporters detailing what was going on.

Jeremy appeared at their side, panting slightly. "Hey, wait up! I'm not prepared to fight yet."

He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. After a minute or so, Elyan opened them, hefting his curtain rod with a determined look on his face. "I'm ready."

"You might not need to have done that," Samus remarked, glancing at him. "There don't seem to be any monsters here, just those men."

"She's-a right," Mario confirmed. "I don't-a see any creatures either."

"What are they yelling about, then?" Elyan questioned, looking quizzically at the shouting men.

"Maybe they're just hysterical," Link offered. "All these attacks are bound to put people on edge. I've seen many villages that wouldn't let anyone in or out at all, they were so scared of monster attacks."

"Or they're just bait," Samus said darkly. "They trick us into coming here, and then the _actual_ monsters attack while we're off our guard."

A silence hung over the group, punctuated only by the continued noise from the intersection.

"Well, whatever their reason is, it doesn't matter," Link announced. "There is no attack on the city, and we really don't need to be here at all. Let's just go back to Alicia's house."

The others nodded their assent. Turning from the screaming men, they began to walk back the way they'd come.

* * *

On the other side of the intersection, a man sitting inside a bus stop looked over the top of his newspaper in irritation. The constant yelling was giving him a headache, and he really wished they'd just knock it off already. In his opinion, people were getting too damn paranoid about the attacks on the city. Sure, they'd all happened within a few days of each other and in the same general area, but that was no reason to be going all Chicken Little every time someone saw a shadow move. Honestly, he wished all of them would just go away and leave his city alone.

His irritation reaching a boiling point, the man angrily threw down his newspaper and sprung to his feet. "Hey, you morons!" he yelled across the street. "Get a clue! There _**is**_ no monster attack, so calm the hell down already!"

_No one attacking? I beg to differ, human. There is indeed an attack. And it begins with you._

The man froze, his next angry outburst dying on his lips. There was a voice in his head talking to him. Crazy people had voices in their head that talked to them. Last time he checked, he wasn't crazy. At least, he thought so. Was he? Had he suddenly gone insane and not realized it? Could an insane person even tell if he was insane?

He began to hyperventilate, sitting down hard on the bench as his legs suddenly failed him. Rubbing furiously at his temples, he desperately attempted to block out the voice. _You're not real, you're not real, you're not real,_ he chanted to himself.

_Stop this foolishness at once,_ the voice ordered. _I cannot use your body if you exhaust it within mere minutes of my arrival._

"Use my body?" the man mumbled. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

_Enough of this!_ the voice snapped. _It is time for me to take control. Your form is now mine!_

"Wait, no!" the man pleaded. "You can't-"

He broke off, shuddering and twitching violently. There was a sudden intense feeling of pressure inside his head, as though a thousand pound weight was pressing down on his brain. Slowly, he slid off the bench and fell to the ground, his limbs jerking out randomly. He flopped around on the ground, hands clamped tightly over his ears. With every second that passed, the pain continued to grow into a roaring, seething agony that threatened to completely consume him. Just when it seemed that he could take the pressure no longer, something reached inside his brain. The man's eyes widened, then shut tightly. He let out an ear-piercing scream wracked with pain and terror.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!"_

* * *

The Smashers and Elyan stopped in their tracks once the scream reached their ears.

"What in Nayru's name was that?" Link asked, sounding horrified. He craned his neck, searching for the source of the cry. "It sounded as though someone was being tortured."

"There!" Elyan yelled, pointing at the man now curled up in a ball and rocking back and forth.

After briefly checking for passing cars, the foursome dashed across the street. They slowed down as they reached the man, intently looking him over. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him. No wounds, no enchantments, no weapons. So why in the world had he screamed like that?

"Sir?" Samus ventured, bending down and tapping the man on the shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The man mumbled something incoherent.

"What did you say?" Samus asked, leaning in closer.

"…itsy bitsy spider…up the water spout…" the man sung in a small, off-key voice. "…down came the rain…washed the spider out.."

Samus blinked in confusion, unsure of how to take this. She exchanged quizzical looks with Link and Mario, who merely shrugged. Leaning over, Samus spoke into the man's ear. "Can you hear me?"

"…hear you…hear you…" the man repeated incoherently. "…out came the sun…I…I can…and dried up all the…"

"Can you hear me?" Samus said again, a little louder this time.

"…I…I can…itsy bitsy spider…I…I can h-hear you."

"Good, good," Samus said encouragingly, patting his shoulder. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

The man groaned. "…the th-thing…in my head…it's hurting me…p-please…make it s-stop…"

"There's something in his head?" Link asked, looking simultaneously concerned and disgusted. Samus furiously motioned for silence, indicating that the man was about to speak again.

"…ah…oh…ah…it's talking…" the man said, his body tensing up. "…ah…ah…it w-wants…oh God no…it wants to k-kill…it wants to kill the p-people…the people f-from the n-news…who were f-fighting the m-monsters…"

There was a sharp intake of breath from all four present.

"The Smashers?" Samus asked urgently. "Does it call them the Smashers?"

The man's head jerked suddenly, an anguished groan escaping his lips. "…yes. yes, it does…the Smashers, that's what they're called…it wants them all _dead_…so much that it hurts…especially the green one…it wants him dead the most…"

"Me?" Link questioned, surprised. "Why does it want to kill me so badly?"

The man turned towards Link, an expression of absolute horror on his face. "He's h-here?" the man whispered hoarsely. "He has to get away from me, now!"

He jerked away from them, shambling down the sidewalk in a frenzied half-crawl, half-gallop. Quick as lightning, Samus darted in front of him and grabbed his wrist, preventing the man from moving any further. "There's no need to run," Samus cautioned gently. "You're safe with us."

"You don't understand!" the man cried out, twisting and writhing in his attempts to shake the bounty hunter off. "Everyone around me is in danger! Run! Run, _now!_"

He seized up, shudders and convulsions wracking his body. A low moaning issued from his mouth, saliva dripping from the sides of his lips. Whatever state the man had been in, he had definitely gotten worse.

With one good shake, the man managed to break free of Samus' iron grip. Stumbling backwards, he managed to get a little further down the sidewalk before collapsing in a heap. The man screamed again, louder and shriller than before.

"What's-a _happening_ to him?" Mario asked, staring at the twitching man.

The man abruptly stopped moving, his scream cut off in mid-yell. He slumped to the sidewalk, his head meeting the pavement with a loud thwack.

After several minutes, the man slowly climbed to his feet. Not a trace of the previous moment's fear was on his face, an oddly blank expression having replaced it. His eyes still closed, the man brought up a hand to touch his face. His fingers lightly ghosted over his cheek, moving down to stroke at his chin. The man let his arm drop back to his side, lips curving into a smile. He began to laugh, a harsh, guttural sound that sounded strange coming out of his mouth.

Then, he opened his eyes.

The Smashers stepped back, their faces pale white. Elyan cried out, almost letting go of his curtain rod. All four of them stared in shock at what the man had become.

The man's eyes were gold rings with pitch black whites, creating a demonic appearance on his otherwise normal face. He looked from one Smasher to the next, taking in their images over and over. His gaze settled on Link, studying the Hylian with an intense look. The man smiled in a predatory way, revealing a mouth full of long, pointy teeth.

"_At last,"_ the man hissed in a coarse, dry voice. _"Flesh and blood. I have form once more. It feels magnificent…but it still requires one small adjustmennnNNNNTT!"_

The end of his sentence was punctuated by a loud cry. Arching his back, the man bent over until his head was level with his knees, clenching his fists tightly. With a loud shredding sound, the back of his jacket was ripped apart, allowing eight long, bristly gray legs to spring free. The legs stretched and extended with sharp cracks, coming to hang loosely around him.

The man sighed in bliss, rubbing one of the legs tenderly. _"Ahh…much better."_

"What _are_ you?" Link choked out.

The man's head snapped in his direction, his dark eyes scrutinizing Link closely. _"I, Hero of Twilight? You ask who I am? I am the Awoken Shelled Eye, the Shelled Goma! Birthed from the mists of twilight, I strike fear into the hearts of all men! I am the Twilit Arachnid, the guardian of the Temple of Time! I am your death, Smashers!"_

He flipped his head back, howling his next statement to the world. _"I…am…Armogohma!"_

* * *

Mayberry pulled up a few blocks away from the warehouse, parking the car next to the sidewalk. Getting out, he stepped onto the curb and began feeding the meter quarters. His thoughts drifted over his current situation as he weighed his choice of options.

He'd overheard the bikers yelling about how there was an attack in progress on his way over to the warehouse. The news had made him pause, pulling the car over to reevaluate his priorities. If there was actually an attack going on, he reasoned, it was his duty to get out there and defend the city. Ganondorf was no longer a priority. Having decided on this, he drove around the block a few times to try and spot exactly where the attack was taking place. After ten minutes had passed with him detecting absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, Mayberry gave up and returned to his route towards the warehouse.

With the building in question right in front of him, Mayberry found himself having second thoughts about his spur-of-the-moment plan. There was no way of knowing if Mr. A's information was reliable. For all he knew, he could be walking straight into a trap. He was all by himself as well, up against who knew how many men. He had no backup, no allies nearby, and probably wouldn't be missed that much if he disappeared.

Still, he couldn't pass up an opportunity like this one. If Ganondorf and the other "Smashers" (he still couldn't get over that name) really were here, there was no telling how long they'd stay in this location. He had a very narrow window of opportunity, and he couldn't afford any slipups.

Making up his mind, Mayberry unlocked his car and slid back inside, shutting the door behind him. He'd play it safe for now and go on stakeout. If he caught a glimpse of Ganondorf or any of his men, he might be able to get a better understanding of what kind of odds he was facing. Then, prepared or not, he'd make his move.

Mayberry fixed his eyes on the warehouse, pushing the seat back to make himself more comfortable. Nothing left to do now but wait.

* * *

"Armogohma…" Link breathed. "No, it can't be. You're dead!"

"_I do not die as easily as you may think, Hero of Twilight. Only my physical body was destroyed in our last encounter," _Armogohma explained, leering at them. _"My most generous and forgiving master Ganondorf summoned my spirit from the bowels of the netherworld, informing me that if I bonded with a human and used its form to kill all of you, I would be restored to my true form as the Arachnid of the Twili. How could I refuse such an offer? With one act, I will have my body __and__ my revenge!"_

"Not today, spider!" Link declared, unsheathing his sword. "I defeated you once, I can do it again!"

"You've fought this thing before?" Elyan asked softly, gripping his curtain rod.

Link nodded, trying to remember how he had defeated Armogohma before. _Right. The Dominion Rod. Unfortunately, I don't have it. So I guess we'll just have to wing it. Why break with tradition?_

Armogohma launched himself at them with a wordless cry of anger, scuttling along on hairy spider legs. Link ducked and rolled under the hanging body of Armogohma's human host, then slashed at the leg nearest to him with his sword. The leg was withdrawn into the air, then smashed down towards Link, who rolled out of the way once more.

"What's it weak against, Link?" Samus called.

"When we fought before, I used the Dominion Rod and my bow and arrows!" Link shouted, dodging another leg that smashed down towards him. "But none of the weak spots I targeted before are there now!"

"So we'll just-a find new ones!" Mario shouted, sending a fireball up at the dangling human. It was dodged.

"When you're fighting an insect sort of creature, the joins between the legs are often a good place to start!" Link hollered, stabbing at the end of the leg nearest to him once more. "And the eyes!"

"Got it!" Samus shouted, firing a seeker rocket straight up.

Armagohma turned his attention to Samus, who fired another rocket. Link jumped upwards, counting on the spider legs to be jointed the way they had been before. He grabbed a hold of Armagohma's leg at one of the joints, gripping the bristly hair with his hands. Armagohma shook his leg, but Link's grip didn't falter. He'd better be high up enough...

Armagohma stopped trying to dislodge Link and lifted up a different leg. Link climbed to the highest joint in the air, gripping it and praying.

He was lucky. Armagohma couldn't lift any foot higher than the top joint, so he couldn't reach Link with his feet. Samus and Mario attacked with all their might, seeing the vulnerable spot Link's positioning put the man-spider in. A moment later they were joined by Elyan. A large kitchen knife was now bound to one end of his curtain rod.

When Armagohma turned his attention to the three on the ground, Link continued his climb. He closed the distance between himself and the dangling human body. Reaching out with his magic Sight as Zelda had shown him, he searched for the signature of the man. Nothing - the man himself was merely an empty body for Armagohma to inhabit. His soul, his energy signature, his mind... all had disappeared. Link pulled out his sword with one hand and swung with the other towards the body. He slashed with all his strength into the once-man's left arm.

The skin merely peeled away to reveal a greyish, slightly bristly arm in the same shape underneath. Link hung from the leg with one hand, swinging out of the way of a clumsy punch. He pulled himself upwards, climbed to where all the spider legs joined into the man's back. He swung down underneath, blocking Armagohma's view of the others and clinging to the two legs just behind his head.

_No blood at all from his wound..._Link thought, feeling his stomach turn. _Just what has he become?_

_"I will kill you for this, Hero for Twilight! I will have my revenge!" _Armagohma hissed. Link felt the man's teeth sink into his arm.

"About that," Link said, not flinching. "How did you survive? I seem to remember squashing you flat."

_"Do you think I am stupid enough to tell you my secrets? You are a fool."_

Armagohma's hands found Link's shoulders, and with a burst of effort, broke Link's grip on the half-spider, sending him plummeting towards the ground. Armagohma slammed a foot down towards him.

"Link!" Elyan grabbed him and pulled him out of the way of the spider's leg, unbalancing himself and sprawling to the ground. Link landed half on top of him, causing Elyan to double over with a cry of pain.

Link got to his feet. "Elyan, are you alright?" he asked, pulling the young man up off the ground.

Elyan breathed heavily for a moment, then smiled wanly at Link. "I'm good. Are you okay?"

Link nodded and the two jumped backwards as another foot slammed down where they had been a moment ago.

Samus ran back a few metres from the battle. She opened a panel on her energy gun and started fiddling with something inside. Link knew better than to call attention to her by asking what she was doing. "Attack like mad," Link whispered to Elyan. Elyan nodded and the two ran at Armagohma. Mario, on the other side of the spider, had already taken the hint.

Mario lit bright flames in both of his hands. He was about to release them when an idea occurred to him. He wrapped the flames around his hands, spreading them over his clenched fists. He began to punch and kick the nearest spider leg to him. The flames grew as Mario attacked with more and more intensity._ Will it burn? _Mario wondered. He jumped high in the air, the flames growing around him, and fired an inferno at Armogohma. Mario landed on the ground, continuing the stream of fire.

Link grabbed Elyan's arm and dragged him back from the creature as Mario's fire surrounded it.

The half-spider went still. When the smoke cleared, Armagohma remained standing His human skin, however, was gone, replaced by a greyish, hairy spider skin.

_"Fools," _Armagohma rasped scornfully. _"You cannot kill me."_

Link cursed under his breath. Would this creature never die?

"What," Elyan said incredulously, "we have to beat it again?" Link nodded.

"Done!" Samus shouted. "Out of the way!"

Mario, Link, and Elyan leaped back. Samus held out her modified energy cannon, took careful aim, and fired. The energy beam was now a flat wave, thin as paper and lethal.

"She'll try to cut all the legs at the first joint," Link whispered to Elyan. "So Armagohma won't be able to walk."

Armagohma saw it coming and leaped straight up into the air. The wave of energy passed below, cutting a tree in half but not touching the half- spider.

"Where'd it go?" Elyan asked.

Link looked up, spotting the shape of the half-spider darting away on a rooftop. "Up there," he said.

"Let's go," Samus called, running over to them. "That beam takes a lot of energy, so next time I use that attack I have to hit."

Link and Mario nodded, and the group ran towards the side of the building.

Mario leaped up to the first window ledge and started to climb the side of the building. Samus grabbed hold of the tree beside the building and began to climb. Link pulled off his hat and reached inside.

"What are you _doing_?" Elyan asked.

Link grinned at him. "Shh." He pulled out his Hookshot. "It's a magic storage device made especially for me. But don't tell anyone - I'm waiting for someone to ask where I keep my stuff if I'm not wearing a pack. So far, no one's actually noticed." he replaced his hat.

Elyan grinned, trying not to laugh. Gauging the best way for him to get to the roof, he reached for the tree that Samus was in.

"Wait," Link said. "Stop."

Elyan looked over, a questioning look on his face.

"It's on the _roof_. We'd survive a fall like that - you wouldn't. Go inside and get everyone out of the building." Link fired his Hookshot at the roof and was yanked upwards.

Elyan stared angrily after him for a moment, then, seeing the sense in what Link had said, ran inside.

Link was the first one on the roof, quickly followed by Samus and Mario.

"Get around it," Samus whispered. "If I can get the legs, you can just stab it easily. But if I fire, it'll just jump again."

Link and Mario smiled at each other, an idea entering both of their heads at the same time. "Samus," Link said, "Attack the legs, but conserve your energy."

Samus nodded and attacked. Link and Mario ran to opposite sides of the spider, attacking all the way. Mario caught Link's eye and the two nodded. Simultaneously, the two jumped at the legs, grabbing hold of the first joint as Link had done earlier. Both began to scale the spider's legs, forcing Armagohma to divide attacks between Link and Mario in his attempts to get them off of him. Samus, realizing their plan, retreated slowly to near the edge of the roof.

_"This strategy again?" _Armagohma asked. _"Why bother? I will simply knock the both of you away again."_

Link, from his gripping place on Armagohma's leg, didn't answer except for using his Hookshot to smack Armagohma in the face.

* * *

Elyan ran into the building. "HEY!" he shouted. "EVERYONE GET OUT!"

A woman ran towards him. "What?"

"You have to get out of here," Elyan said. "There's a giant monster on the roof and the people fighting it are concerned about the people inside being killed should the roof crack."

The woman nodded, running further into the building. "Sarah! Michel! Helen!" Three young children ran down to her. "Go outside, kids. I'll be there in a minute."

"Come on," Elyan called. "Let's go." He helped the kids outside, urging them as far away from the building as possible. Then he ran back for the others.

* * *

Link and Mario pulled themselves along Armagohma's legs, slowly advancing towards the half-spider's body. When they were close enough, Mario covered his fist with fire and slammed a flaming punch into Armagohma's face. Armagohma hissed with pain, his inky black eyes squeezing shut.

"Now!" Link shouted, attacking for all he was worth. Samus began to charge her laser attack.

Armagohma jerked and, using a human leg, kicked Mario in an underhanded and very painful blow. Mario let go, tumbling to the ground.

"Mario!" Samus shouted. She couldn't abort this attack like she could her regular energy blasts, or her suit would overload. As a last-ditch effort, she threw herself on her back, sending the thin beams straight up in the air and praying they wouldn't hit Link.

She was lucky. The beams arced into the sky in a brilliant red fan of light, then disappeared harmlessly.

Samus breathed a sigh of relief. None of her friends had been hurt. But Mario was on the ground, and Link was still in the half-spider's clutches.

Armagohma shook Link off of him and made to leap once more. Link used the Hookshot again as he fell, driving the spiked tips deep into Armagohma's chest. Armagohma screamed and writhed around, trying to dislodge the weapon. Link hung beneath the spider, gripping the Hookshot for all he was worth.

The bright spider eyes went dull, and the human head drooped. Armagohma began to fade, his entire body shimmering with a faint purple glow. _A teleportation spell?_ Link wondered. The glow continued to creep down the half-spider, spreading to the embedded end of the Hookshot and moving towards Link.

Link, after one last desperate yank, let go of the Hookshot and dropped to the ground. Armagohma disappeared in a flash of violet light.

His last words hung in the air. _"This is not the end. I _will_ kill you all."_

Link knelt on the rooftop, breathing hard. Mario got to his feet, running over to him. Samus quickly joined them.

"Are you two alright?" Samus asked. "Did the laser hit you anywhere?"

Link and Mario shook their heads. "We're-a fine," Mario said.

Link frowned. "I lost my Hookshot, but I'm alright."

Jeremy emerged from a window just below the roof. "Hey!" he called. "Come down this way - you won't need to climb down. I just called my sister."

Link, Samus, and Mario smiled and climbed in the window.

After a period of waiting, filled with profuse thanks from the residents of the building, Alicia showed up, grinning brightly. "I take it you won? C'mon, get in! Let's go before the press get here and kidnap you for interviews!"

Confused by Alicia's cheer, Jeremy got into the car. The three heroes got in the back and Alicia drove away.

* * *

Sael sat in the backseat of her parents' car. She didn't respond to her stepmother's ranting, nor her father's attempts to calm down the angry woman. All her attention was focused on the note in her hands. It was written hurriedly on an orange sticky note in a quick but fairly neat hand.

_Sael:_

_Meet me tomorrow in the women's washroom right near the courtroom when your case takes a break. Don't show this note to anyone. Elyan is looking for you - I can help you find him._

* * *

A purple flash went off inside the warehouse, illuminating each window in a brilliant violet glow.

Mayberry blinked. _The hell was that?_

Something had just happened inside the warehouse. He didn't have any idea what it was, or if it was connected to Ganondorf at all. Still, this seemed a good time as any to act.

Unbuckling his seat belt, Mayberry slid out of his car, shutting the door behind him. He padded down the sidewalk as quietly as he could, his steps growing softer and softer the closer he got to the warehouse.

Pausing outside the door to the warehouse, Mayberry gave the knob an experimental twist. Not surprisingly, it wouldn't budge. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a crude lock-pick. Bending down, he inserted the small piece of metal into the keyhole, carefully feeling around for the right places to push the tumblers. Three sharp clicks later, the knob turned and the door swung open.

Mayberry cautiously stepped inside, stowing away his lock-pick with one hand and pulling out his gun with the other. Hearing the faint sound of voices ahead of him, he snapped off the safety and headed further inside.

* * *

Armogohma stood unsteadily in the midst of a dissipating cloud of purple smoke, his spider legs now the only thing keeping him standing. Link's Hookshot was still stuck in his chest, yellow fluid seeping down around the spikes of the weapon.

Bowser, Wario, and Ganondorf eyed him critically, taking in the half-spider's battered state and wounded flesh.

Wario was unimpressed. "_Dis_ is da guy who ya sent after da Smashers? Pretty disappointin', if ya ask me. He lasted what, half an hour at da most against dem?"

"I have to agree with Wario," Bowser added, shaking his head. "If he's as good as you said he is, why'd he get beaten so quickly?"

"An excellent question," Ganondorf replied, turning his steely gaze onto Armogohma. "I was just about to ask him that myself."

The half-spider shrank back away from him. _"Have mercy, my master!"_ he pleaded. _"I did not know how to use this body! I was just growing accustomed to having new limbs when the Smashers overwhelmed me! I beg of you, have pity!"_

Ganondorf considered this. "I suppose you cannot be fully blamed for this failure. Having to control a body that is almost entirely foreign to your own can be quite disorienting at first. I myself was almost completely unable to move the first time I transformed into the Dark Beast. Your confusion is quite understandable. I will give you a second chance."

The half-spider awkwardly fell to his knees, trying not to shift the embedded tips of the Hookshot further inside him. _"Thank you, oh benevolent and glorious one! Your generosity will not go unrewarded, I promise you!"_

"We shall see soon enough," Ganondorf replied. "Bowser, take Armogohma into the next room and remove that object from his chest. I will join you shortly."

Bowser nodded, lumbering over to where Armogohma was kneeling and helping the half-spider to his feet. The two of them slowly moved out of the room, Amrogohma's arm resting on Bowser's shoulder.

Ganondorf sighed, massaging his temples. "I am growing so utterly impatient with our slow progress. We are eternally fixed on the one simple task of eliminating the Smashers. Why must the goddesses torture us so? What have we done to anger them?"

Wario shrugged. "I dunno. If I had ta guess, I'd say it's just dumb luck keepin' 'em alive, nothin' more than dat. Sooner or later, they'll kick da bucket. Just you wait an' see."

"FREEZE! Hands in the air, both of you!"

Ganondorf and Wario turned towards the sound of the voice, slowly raising their arms. Wario looked completely confused, while Ganondorf simply wore a look of mild puzzlement. Neither understood what was happening.

Mayberry emerged from the shadows, a gun in each hand. "Keep your hands where I can see them and don't try anything."

"And who might you be?" Ganondorf inquired.

"Detective Sam Mayberry, operating under the authority of the NSA," Mayberry replied tersely. "I'm guessing you're Ganondorf?"

"Quite," Ganondorf said, inclining his head towards Mayberry. "Why, exactly, are you pointing a gun at me?"

"I'm under orders to take you and your friend there in for questioning about the recent attacks on the city," Mayberry answered. "You can make this easy or hard, it's up to you."

"And what makes you think that we have anything to do with those incidents?" Ganondorf asked, his voice as smooth as silk.

"You and the other 'Smashers' only started showing up around the city after an incident involving a transdimensional gate at the Petrelli Institute. Two individuals matching your descriptions were spotted leaving the scene. I've been following your trail ever since then, and it led me right to this location."

"I see," Ganondorf stated, a sharp coolness entering his tone. "How much do you know about us, Detective?"

"I know enough to not take any chances when confronting you," Mayberry said. "Outside, both of you. My superiors will want a few words with you two."

Ganondorf began to laugh, a rich, booming sound. Wario joined in, cackling loudly.

"What's so funny?" Mayberry demanded, his eyes narrowing.

Ganondorf's laughter subsided, settling down to a mere smile on his face. "Ah, Detective, you are so very far out of your depth. You say you know everything about us, but I think that is false. I think you cannot even begin to comprehend exactly what you are dealing with here. You have stepped into a den of shadows, Detective."

A dark shape loomed behind Mayberry, moving closer and closer to the unsuspecting man.

"And every so often…" Ganondorf's smile widened. "…the shadows have teeth."

A pair of claws seized Mayberry by the throat, yanking him up off the ground. Mayberry choked and gasped, dropping both his guns and frantically attempting to pull the claws off his neck. It was in vain, though, as the hold on his neck only grew tighter with every attempt to shake it off. After a good thirty seconds of struggling, the oxygen deprivation took its toll. Mayberry's hands dropped back to his sides, his whole body going slack.

Bowser let go of him, letting Mayberry's body fall to the floor with an undignified thump.

Ganondorf and Wario lowered their arms with a sigh of relief. "Nicely done, Bowser," Ganondorf commented.

Wario peered over at the prone form of Mayberry. "Is he-"

"No," Bowser cut him off, shaking his head vehemently. "I just knocked him out. We might need him."

"Quite right," Ganondorf said, nodding in approval. "From what I gathered, this 'Detective' appears to be a bounty hunter of some kind, or perhaps even a knight. Whatever the case, he must have powerful allies if he was able to find us so quickly, allies who will want him back unharmed. They will give us anything we desire in exchange for his life. Yes, this man will be most beneficial to our cause."

Armogohma limped into the room, holding a bristly gray hand to the space where the Hookshot had pierced him. _"Shall I secure him, my master?"_

Ganondorf waved him away. "Do not exert yourself while you are injured. I will dismiss you back to the spirit realm shortly to recuperate. Wait in the next room until I am finished here."

"_As you command, my master,"_ Armogohma intoned, shuffling back out.

"So what are we going to do with him, anyway?" Bowser asked.

"I will secure him with a binding spell for the time being," Ganondorf replied. "Tomorrow, we will gather the Dark Hogs and hold council on how to act further. Gentlemen, I do believe this could be the opportunity we have been waiting for."

Bowser and Wario nodded in agreement, smiling deviously.

* * *

"The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine! Feels at each thread, and lives along the line."

-Alexander Pope

* * *

U92: Armogohma is awesome. I've had him in mind ever since I thought up the whole "Smash World-Human World" fusion thing.

Yeah, I'll confess that I've got a bit of an obsession with guys who have arms/legs/tentacles/vines/wires coming out of their back/torso/midsection/arms. Don't judge me.

Amrogohma will return, most likely when you all least expect it. I'm mysterious that way. (grins)

Anyone actually expect Mayberry to get captured?

I have an announcement to make con that I'm sure you'll all want to hear. As most of you have probably already noticed, the last couple of chapters have been a steady pattern of "action scene, filler, action scene, filler," ad nauseam. Starting next chapter, that all changes. Any trace of a pattern will disappear, leaving events spiraling upward into a haze of chaos and confusion that will culminate in the climax to the story. In every chapter from now until the end, there will be at least one major event occurring. It's going to be a wild ride from here on in, and I'm looking forward to it just as much as you are.

Sue2: Woohoo! Double cliffie! I can't wait for the next chapter. I hope you're enjoying our stories, and reviews are always welcome!

REVIEW!


	16. Breakout

U92: Argh argh argh _we are so behind schedule_. Good thing this chapter's so long, so you all know we haven't been slacking.

This chapter, two very important events happen. Sael and Elyan finally reunite, and Mayberry stops being a clueless detective and starts being a real badass. They're both awesome. (grins)

Sue2: And here we are again, after a regrettably long time. Well, we're back and rolling, so let's go!

* * *

-Chapter Fifteen-

_Breakout_

* * *

Mayberry slowly returned to consciousness, an intense headache throbbing at the base of his skull. He could feel an odd sensation of pressure on various areas of his body, particularly around his arms, legs, and midsection. Pushes and wriggles proved to be useless, as whatever was wrapped around him wouldn't budge. Opening his eyes and looking down, Mayberry was stunned to find three large metal rings secured around his body, pulsing a faint purple color every few seconds. Moreover, he appeared to be floating in midair.

He looked up and down his body several times, confirming that what he was seeing was real. _What the hell?_

"Ah, he is awake," a deep voice spoke to the left of him. "Excellent."

Mayberry swiveled his head to the side. Ganondorf was intently watching him, wearing a satisfied smile. The lizard and one other short man dressed in leather were standing a few feet behind him, beaming vicious grins at the prone detective. Mayberry noticed a large crowd of anxious-looking bikers near the front who looked as though they didn't want to be there at all. A few of them averted their eyes when they noticed he was watching.

The bitter truth crashed in on him. Mayberry turned back to Ganondorf. "Mr. A was your man all along, wasn't he?"

"I beg your pardon?" Ganondorf asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Just what exactly are you referring to?"

Mayberry stared at him in disbelief. Did this man seriously think he was going to fall for the old "feigning unawareness" story? Amateur thieves used better excuses than that! What kind of an operation was this, anyway?

"Mr. A," Mayberry enunciated loudly and slowly. "The man you sent to me who gave me your location. The entire reason I'm here right now. That ringing any bells?"

"I do not think so," Ganondorf replied. "I have no knowledge of any person named 'Mr. A'." He turned to the others in the room. "Do any of you know of whom the detective is speaking?"

The lizard and the leather-clad man shook their heads. The bikers shouted denials in tones ranging from flat to emphatic.

Ganondorf faced Mayberry again. "As you can see, Detective, we have no idea who you are talking about. As a matter of fact, I was about to inquire how you knew where to find us."

Mayberry was thoroughly confused. "Wait a minute. If Mr. A wasn't working for you, then how did he know where you were? No one else I've spoken to had any idea where to find you."

"And for good reason," Ganondorf declared. "I pride myself on keeping an intricate level of security around my operations. Unfortunately, it appears to have glaring weak points if this 'Mr. A' was able to penetrate it. Additional measures will have to be taken in the future." He looked meaningfully at the bikers, who flinched under his gaze.

He reached into Mayberry's pocket, pulling out his wallet. Flipping it open, Ganondorf dug through the pockets, pulling out a small white card. "What interesting company you keep, Detective," he remarked. " 'Zeke Brusca: Informant for Hire. I know everything there is to know. For the right price, that knowledge can be yours.' How delightfully charming."

Holding up Mayberry's cell phone, Ganondorf began dialing in Zeke's number. The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity before the other end of the line picked up. "Hello?"

"Am I speaking to Zeke Brusca?"

"The one and only. What can I do for you?"

"You sell information, yes? What would you be willing to give me for a man's life? Specifically, the life of Detective Samuel Mayberry?"

There was a pause. "Sam? What's happened to him?"

"Absolutely nothing…yet."

Ganondorf snapped his fingers, causing his hand to burst to life with purple flame. Stepping closer to Mayberry, he placed his palm flat upon the detective's unprotected neck. Mayberry screamed, writhing about and jerking his head around in desperate attempts to get the burning hand off of him. The lizard and the leather-clad man watched these proceedings with mild interest, while the bikers looked on the verge of being physically sick.

Ganondorf kept his hand firmly centered on Mayberry's neck the entire time, only removing it after a minute or so had passed. As Mayberry tried to catch his breath, Ganondorf returned his attention to the cell phone. "I just used a rather complicated enchantment on the detective, specifically designed to attack the pain centers of the brain. The subject's brain is fooled into believing that the subject is receiving multiple burns on different areas of his body, producing a very real sensation of agony with no physical side-effects. It is the best form of torture, inflicting no permanent damage upon the subject but breaking him just as quickly as conventional methods. As you most likely have deduced from this, I am quite capable of ending the detective's life. The question becomes, are you willing to save him?"

"You sick son of a bitch!" Zeke spat. "Just say what you want already!"

"Very well," Ganondorf replied. "I am a newcomer to this land. Much of what I have seen and heard here interests me nearly as much as it repulses me. In particular, what you call nuclear power. These 'nukes', as you call them, amaze me with their capability for destruction. With that kind of weaponry at my disposal, my victory in this conflict would be inevitable. Do you happen to know where I can obtain one?"

"A _nuke_? A friggin' _**nuke**_? How do you expect me to get ahold of one of those? The local weapons of mass destruction store?!" Zeke's voice had risen to a shrill high-pitched shout.

"If you are unable to secure one of them, I am most sorry for having troubled you," Ganondorf said, feigning sympathy. "I suppose that I will have to end the detective's life after all…"

"Wait! No, no, no!" Zeke said frantically. "I can find something; I can get you what you need! I'm sure of it!" Furious typing could be heard in the background.

"Zeke, don't tell him anything!" Mayberry shouted, his voice raspy.

Ganondorf whirled on him, delivering a solid blow to Mayberry's face. The detective's head jerked to one side, ricocheting back to the middle and hanging there limply.

"Do not speak out of turn again," Ganondorf stated, his voice filled with malice. He returned his attention to the phone. "Are you able to get me what I need?"

"Well…sort of. It's kind of complicated," Zeke hedged. "I can't get you an _actual_ nuke, due to the really high level of security around them. The bomb codes are easier to get, and are just as powerful. If you can plug the codes into a reasonably advanced network, you gain control over when nukes fire and where they're headed. How's that sound?"

Ganondorf rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. That seems suitable for my purposes. Where might I find these codes?"

"_That_ I don't really know yet," Zeke said nervously. "Give men twenty minutes or so, and I think I'll have something by then."

"Twenty minutes," Ganondorf said brusquely. "Not a second longer." He snapped shut the phone, swiveling to face the crowd of bikers. "Does anyone here have a timekeeping device?"

One man shouted an affirmative.

"When twenty minutes have passed, inform me immediately," Ganondorf instructed, sitting down on the floor in a cross-legged position. "For now, we shall wait."

* * *

"It's time," the man with the watch announced.

Ganondorf sprung to his feet, grabbing the cell phone and redialing Zeke's number. The phone rang for approximately ten seconds before being picked up. "Hello?"

"Well?" Ganondorf said abruptly.

"I found something. There's a military base called Fort Taylor out in the California desert that has the codes. It's under heavy armed guard and massive amounts of surveillance. Their security is top-notch. I barely managed to find its location before my computer shut down."

"Where is this facility, exactly?"

Zeke rattled off a set of coordinates. "There. I gave you what you wanted, so let Sam go."

Ganondorf shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. The detective is the only one outside of my own forces to know where we are located. It would be a terrible lapse in security if I were to let him free. He very well might bring an army upon us, jeopardizing everything I have worked for here. No, the detective will be put somewhere where he will not cause any harm."

"You two-timing slime!" Zeke screamed into the receiver. "I'm gonna come and kill you myself! You won't get away with this!"

"A pleasure to do business with you as well," Ganondorf said pleasantly, snapping shut the phone.

The short man in leather whistled. "Nice."

Mayberry stared at the floor despondently, his body completely limp in the metal rings.

Ganondorf placed the phone inside his pocket, focusing on the crowd of uneasy bikers. "My friends, we face a dilemma. The detective has been greatly beneficial to our cause, but has now outlived his usefulness. Do any of you know of a suitable place to keep him until his fate can be decided?"

One of the bikers was on the verge of saying something, shifting nervously back and forth. Ganondorf noticed this, turning to stare directly at the unfortunate man. "Do you have something to say?"

"Well…there's the abandoned detention center. It's only a few miles from here," the biker said reluctantly. "It got condemned a couple months ago. My demolition company is scheduled to raze it to the ground in a couple weeks. No one goes near it, the place is disgusting…uh…" He broke off, shamefully shuffling back into the crowd.

"Hmm," Ganondorf murmured, considering the idea. "Does this facility contain sections that can hold individuals for an indefinite period of time?"

The biker slowly nodded.

"Then it is decided," Ganondorf declared. "Begin repackaging our supplies at once. We will transfer our base of operations to this 'detention center' immediately."

There was an outcry of surprised protests from the bikers. The lizard and the short man raised their eyebrows, looking questioningly at their leader.

Ganondorf raised his hands for silence. "I can understand your positions, but it is imperative that we move quickly. The fact that the detective found us so quickly signifies a prominent hole in our defenses. If we do not relocate soon, we run a very high risk of being invaded by hostile forces. I will not allow our operations to come to a halt after we have come so far. Have faith, my allies! With the information the detective's friend has generously supplied us with, we are within sight of our goals! Now, to work!"

Releasing a collective sigh, the bikers began gathering up the guns lined up against one wall.

* * *

"I have to go to the washroom," Sael said. Without waiting for an answer, she slipped off.

_The washroom near the court..._

She pushed open the door.

A woman was standing, facing away from the door, looking in the mirror with an unhappy expression and fingering a lock of her chin-length blond hair. When she saw Sael's reflection, she turned around. Gone was the sadness in her expression - she was all business. "Sael?"

Sael nodded. She held out the post-it note. "Did you..."

The blond woman nodded. "I did. My name's Alicia - I'm Elyan's twin sister."

Sael smiled. "It's nice to meet you." she thought for a moment, then decided to just ask what was on her mind. "Why were you looking so sad?"

"Oh... you saw that." Alicia shook her head. "Just thinking about something I can't have. But it's nothing, really... can't win 'em all." she smiled. "It doesn't matter. Jeremy - that's Elyan's name on this world - misses you like crazy. I'm here to try and arrange a way for you two to find each other. D'you think your mother would let me take you home to see him?"

Sael shook her head. "She doesn't even believe in him and wouldn't let me be around him if she did."

Alicia nodded thoughtfully. "I could bring him here. Would that work?"

"Only once," Sael said. She looked down. "But I don't want it to only happen once. I want to be with him, not see him to say goodbye."

Alicia nodded slowly, an unreadable expression on her face. "Then... if your mother will get in the way of everything..."

"I'll have to run away again." Sael said it with finality and not much sadness.

Alicia tilted her head. "You'd do that? Uproot your entire life and live on the run... just to be with him?"

Sael nodded. "That and a whole lot more. He and I discovered who we were together. He knows me better than anyone else... and he's all I have left of the other world. I'd do anything to be with him."

Alicia nodded, a strange, almost bitter smile on her face. "I think I know how you feel. I'll help you if I can." She laughed. "Then I'll have five people besides me to support on a clerk's salary."

"I can get a job," Sael said. "I'll do anything."

Alicia nodded. "Is now too early to go?"

Sael shook her head. "No, I'm ready anytime." she touched the blue ribbon around her neck, with its little dolphin charm. "I don't have any other clothes but these, but I can go back and take some from home later, if I have to."

Alicia smiled. "I don't think that'll be necessary. If you're ready, let's go."

Sael nodded. "So what do I do?"

Alicia thought for a moment. "If I tell your parents you're feeling sick, they'll come right away. If we just make a break for it, we may be able to be long gone before they find us. Where are your parents?"

Sael thought. "They're sitting on chairs in the lobby, if they haven't moved yet."

Alicia nodded. "Then we'll have to take the back entrance."

* * *

Michelle shifted restlessly. "Jessica's been gone for a long time. Do you think she's feeling sick? Is she okay?"

"This has been very stressful for her," her husband said. "She's taking her time. The washroom is probably the most peaceful spot in the building."

"She tried to run away!" Michelle cried. "Don't you think she might try it again?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, I don't think she will." He got to his feet. "When Jessica wants to cry alone, she goes to the washroom and cries in a stall." he was downcast. "I think she's feeling alone, confused and sad. I'm going to go find her." He smiled slightly at his wife. "Can I have some time with my daughter?"

Michelle looked down. "I'll wait here."

* * *

"Jess? You in there?"

Sael's eyes went wide. "It's my dad," she whispered to Alicia.

"Just keep walking. Which way is he coming from?"

Sael pointed. "Back there. He's by the washroom."

Alicia nodded. "C'mon. Unless we do something to blow our cover, he won't find us. This is the door we want. Watch out for the tiles, they're..."

Sael's toe caught on the edge of the raised tiles, and she fell forward. Her hand reached out for something to hold herself up... she grabbed the alarm next to the door and crashed to the floor. The wailing sounded through the building.

"Raised." Alicia put her head in her hands. "I should have warned you earlier. Come on, we gotta get out of here - fast."

"Wait, my ribbon's caught..." a moment later, the blue ribbon around Sael's neck broke as Alicia pulled her to her feet. "My ribbon!"

"Forget it!" Alicia shouted, dragging her away.

Regretfully, Sael turned away from the ribbon Roy had found and saved for her for so long. She ran with Alicia across the grassy lot outside the court. "I'm parked over here!" Alicia said.

* * *

The satin ribbon was Jess' favorite, with the little silver dolphin charm. Matthew picked it up, unhooking it from the corner of the raised step at the back door, and held it for a moment.

Michelle was right. Jessica had made a run for it.

Utilizing all the speed he had, her father ran after her.

* * *

When the alarm began to wail, Michelle sat up straight. She'd run. Jessica had run away _again_.

Michelle leaped to her feet. She ran for the door. _Jess..._

* * *

"JESS! JESSICA!"

"It's my dad!" Sael said.

Alicia looked around, desperate, for somewhere to hide. A thick, leafy group of bushes, planted in a circle for ornamentation. "In here." She pushed Sael into the centre of the group of bushes. "I'll be back. Wait here - don't come out until I tell you to." She ran around to the other side of the building.

Sael curled up in the bushes, and peered out slightly.

Her father stopped in the centre of the wide field. "Jess..." he looked around.

"JESS! JESSICA, WHERE ARE YOU?" her stepmother ran around the side of t the building. Seeing Matthew standing there, she arrowed towards him. "Anything?"

Matthew shook his head. "No."

Sael's stepmother closed her eyes. Her shoulders shook. Tears started to fall.

Sael's father ran to his wife, pulling her into his arms. "Don't cry. We'll find her, I promise."

"I know we will," she said. "We'll have the police on our side, and where can she possibly go? But do we really deserve to find her?"

"Shhh. Don't say that."

He stroked her hair, and she cried even harder into his shoulder. "I've been a horrible mother. Stanton was right all along... but I didn't listen. Poor Jess... all alone, because she couldn't stand to live with _me_ for another second. And do you know what the worst thing is? I don't blame her. I don't blame her at all. I didn't listen. I was so closed-minded, expecting her to be exactly the same as she was before, expecting her to still be our Jessica. She's grown and changed, but she's still our girl. It's not her fault she doesn't remember, not her fault what she dreamed... but I blamed her and pushed her away because she wasn't the girl I wanted her to be. My God, I wrecked her life instead of trying to repair it."

Sael felt every muscle in her body stiffen as she listened to her stepmother cry. Memories of the times she had watched others cry drifted into her mind, one by one. Mistress Serenity, weeping over the paintings that Sael had destroyed. Marth, his tears falling, mixing with the blood in Roy's wound, that Sael had caused. And now, Michelle. That was her name, the name Jessica had used. Michelle.

Now Michelle cried on her husband's shoulder, blaming herself when Sael had hurt her.

_It's not like that! She's angry and mean! Marth was good, Mistress Serenity was good. She's not!_

Memory of Jessica's smiling face, the twin of her own but for the expression, popped into her mind. _"She tries way too hard and sometimes drives everybody crazy, but she's a good person."_

Both Marth and Mistress Serenity had blamed Sael when they found out what she had done. And that was alright, because it had been her fault. But Michelle didn't blame Sael. Michelle blamed herself. She blamed herself for not listening.

But how could she listen if Sael didn't speak? Sael hadn't even tried to compromise. She hadn't even tried to think of Earth as a place that could be home. All she had thought of was Elyan, Roy, and Marth. She hadn't tried to be a daughter to these two who had lost Jessica because of her.

Sael found herself shaking and crying. What could she do? Everything she had done before, she'd been able to fix or at least make up for. What could she do now?

Nothing. Helplessness overtook her, and she didn't move. She could never deserve the love they had for Jessica. She was a failure as a child to them.

A little voice spoke in her head._"How far would you go for Elyan? Would you break their hearts again?"_

Sael hardened her heart and didn't move. She'd done nothing but hurt them - they'd be better off without her anyway.

After a few minutes they wandered off. By the time Alicia came back, the tears had faded.

"Come on." Alicia said, helping Sael to her feet.

Out of habit, Sael sat in the back seat of Alicia's car. Alicia nodded and sat down in the front. She started the engine and drove away.

* * *

_Mayberry sat in his easy chair, cradling a bottle of beer. He was attempting to ignore his cell phone, which was insistently wailing on the table next to him. He didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, and had been harboring similar feelings for quite awhile now._

_His wife had gone insane and his daughter was in foster care. With just one simple statement, all ties holding him to the earth had suddenly fallen away. Life was an abyss for him now, an unending blackness devoid of form or purpose. The outside world had nothing left to offer him. There was only emptiness, and the sweet, sweet release that only alcohol could provide._

_That damned ringing was getting to be annoying, though._

_With a sigh of frustration, Mayberry picked up the phone and thumbed the TALK button. "What?"_

"_Is this Sam Mayberry?" a frantic voice asked. "Please, I need to talk to you!"_

"_Who is this?" Mayberry asked sluggishly, massaging his forehead._

"_Nancy Cartwright. We met on the site of the Haven incident. I need your help!"_

_Mayberry shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his mind. "What exactly is the problem?"_

"_I've been investigating a series of murders centered around the First National Bank. I received a death threat about a week ago, around the time I began to suspect several prominent figures within the bank of having ties to the murders. Just today, someone shot at me. I didn't see who it was. I can't get through to my superiors, and I'm not sure who else is involved. You're the only federal agent I know who I can trust. Please, you have to help me!"_

_Mayberry sighed. "Meet me at the café on the corner of Fifth and Jackson. We'll talk there."_

"_Thank you, Sam," Nancy said gratefully, severing the connection._

_Mayberry slowly got to his feet, rubbing his eyes and reflecting on how bitterly ironic the world seemed to be. Just two minutes ago, his only companions were a bottle of Jack Daniels and his favorite chair. Now, he was heading out to some café to meet a woman he barely knew to help on a case he has absolutely no knowledge about. It was incredible how fast things could change._

_He shrugged on his coat, shoving his wallet and cell phone into his pocket. Mentally he went over the details of Nancy's situation again. A government agent gets involved in a conspiracy surrounding a national bank that is apparently important enough to kill for, only to realize she's in over her head and calls in a bitter, drunken ex-agent to help her. It sounded like some stupid detective novel._

_Mayberry rolled his eyes. Him a detective. Tch. Right._

_He walked out the door, closing and locking it behind him._

* * *

Mayberry's eyes slowly opened. Wincing, he slowly raised himself up on his elbows, feeling sharp pains in the areas where the metal rings had cut into his flesh. Patting himself down, Mayberry realized that his jacket, holster, and wallet were all missing. Inwardly cursing, he took stock of his surroundings. He was lying on a cot inside a dimly lit cell with walls sickly green in color as well as covered in grime. An unforgiving set of iron bars made up the cell door, which was shut and fastened securely. Out in the hallway, a man in a faded leather outfit awkwardly clutched a shotgun and was trying very hard to avoid looking at him.

"Water," Mayberry croaked, raising a languid hand towards him.

"W-What?" the man stuttered, looking from side to side. "Listen, I don't know if I can-"

"Water," Mayberry repeated faintly. "Please…I need some water."

The man scratched the back of his neck anxiously, caught in a haze of indecision. "Okay. Okay, I'll get you some water. Just wait a minute, and I'll be right back." The man shifted the shotgun to one hand and propped it up on his hip, jogging off down the hallway.

A couple minutes later, the man reappeared, holding a half-filled water bottle in his free hand. Setting it on the ground near the bars, he fumbled in his pocket and produced a set of keys. Unlocking the door, he stowed the keys back in his pocket, picking up the bottle and walking into Mayberry's cell. Adjusting the gun on his hip, the man turned around to relock the door.

Mayberry leaped off the cot, landing nimbly on his feet. Reaching around the man's arms, he grabbed the shotgun and yanked it away from him. The man whirled around, his face lit with surprise. Mayberry swung the gun like a baseball bat, nailing the man in the forehead with the butt of the gun. The man collapsed, falling unconscious to the ground.

Bending down, Mayberry reached into the man's pocket and pulled out the keys and several boxes of ammunition. Stuffing the ammunition boxes into his pockets, he reached over and grabbed the water bottle, taking a long sip. Wiping off his mouth, Mayberry unlocked the door and quietly let himself out. After making sure no one was around, he cocked the shotgun and headed down the corridor.

Mayberry bypassed several rows of cells, looking around for any sign of an exit. Hearing the murmur of conversation up ahead, he flattened himself up against the wall and quietly inched the rest of the way down the hallway, straining to make out what the voices around the corner were saying. He stopped right at the edge of the corner, glancing at a wide metal strip along a section of the hall which was reflecting two blurry figures. From what he could make out, the two men were the only ones in that particular area, holding what he assumed to be shotguns similar to the one he carried and heavy in conversation.

Mayberry frowned. If he attempted to continue any further down the corridor, he'd pass directly through their line of sight. Judging from what he'd seen of Ganondorf's operation so far, he had a pretty good idea of what would happen to him if he did. He needed to find a way past them before any other men arrived and spotted him.

Just then, a new voice called out to the men. Mayberry could see in the reflection that the two men had turned and were walking towards the voice. "Who's there?" one of the men called out.

The new man said something unintelligible.

"I said, who's there?" the first man said testily.

Mayberry knew the men would only be distracted for a few seconds. He had to move quickly.

He dashed across the hall, stopping a few feet in and listening closely for any sign that he had been detected. After hearing only the continued mutterings of the three men, he breathed a small sigh of relief and resumed his walk down the corridor.

Mayberry continued through the building, searching everywhere he could for an exit. This was not an easy task, considering the number of armed men all over the place. Mayberry was forced several times to take cover behind corners, walls, partitions, and even flat on his stomach on a staircase in one particularly heart-stopping moment. It was very slow going, but he managed to remain undetected. A little voice in his head prevented him from getting optimistic, though, continually reminding him that someone would inevitably discover the unconscious guard in his cell.

After awhile of this, time started to lose all meaning for him. He had no idea how long he'd been wandering around or even what time of day it was. All that mattered was getting out alive.

After what seemed like an eternity of running and hiding, Mayberry caught a glimpse in a window of a parking lot filled with several motorcycles. His spirits rose. If the outside was visible from his current position, then an entrance had to be nearby.

After taking one last look around the vicinity, Mayberry jogged down a small stretch of corridor, coming up on a rickety-looking set of double doors. He pressed his ear to the door, listening hard.

Faint voices could be heard in the next room. "…sure all this is necessary?"

"Of course. This could very well be the most significant moment of our operations here. We must do everything within our power to ensure its success."

"Yeah, I can understand dat, but isn't dis a little overkill? You're puttin' my neck on da line! What if somethin' goes wrong?"

"As I have explained several times, there will be no real danger to you during the mission. If at any point you become trapped or wounded, just use what I have given you. However, I must stress the importance of your objective. You must only abort the mission if no possible route towards the codes remains."

"Yeah, yeah, gotcha."

Mayberry cursed, grinding his teeth in frustration. Ganondorf and his two lieutenants were right in that room, blocking his way out. He had no idea if there was any cover in that room at all, or if he'd be caught the second he entered that room. Searching for another exit might take hours, and there was no way of knowing if any others even existed.

"It appears we will have to finish our planning at another time," Ganondorf's voice cut in suddenly. "The detective has just arrived right outside that door. And he is armed."

Mayberry stepped backwards in shock, his mind reeling. How on earth had he been detected? He hadn't made any noise, and the three of them had been too deep in conversation to notice him even if he had. Was Ganondorf bluffing? If so, it was a damn good guess.

The door flew open, revealing the short man who had been present at his torture. He motioned to Mayberry with his hand. "Come on in. We just wanna talk ta ya."

Mayberry immediately trained his shotgun on him, a hard look in his eyes. "Give me one good reason."

The short man pulled a light machine gun out from behind his back, cocking it loudly. "Dis a big enough reason for ya?" he questioned, grinning.

"So you're going to shoot me if I don't cooperate?" Mayberry asked.

"Yep," the short man said cheerfully. "Now c'mon, before my trigger finger starts gettin' itchy."

He began stepping back into the room, his weapon pointed straight at the detective. Mayberry warily followed him inside, his shotgun at the ready. The door swung shut behind him.

Mayberry made a visual sweep of the room as he went, taking as much in as he could. The room was mostly bare, with the exception of several boxes stacked in piles around the walls. His jacket, wallet, and holster were lying on top of a box to his left. The lizard and Ganondorf were standing in the middle of the room, watching him interestedly. Behind them was another set of double doors leading to the outside.

The short man continued backing up, stopping when Ganondorf and the lizard were at his sides. All three of them appraised the battered man.

"Welcome, Detective," Ganondorf said cordially. "You appear to have been through quite the ordeal. Seeing as I have received no reports from my men pertaining to your escape, I would assume you made it all the way here without being discovered. You probably would have made it past us as well, were it not for the silent sensor alarms placed around this room. In a way, I am quite flattered. Whoever sent you after us obviously knew they needed the best."

Mayberry awkwardly cleared his throat. "By order of the National Security Agency of the United States," he said, his voice hoarse, "I am hereby detaining the three of you for interrogation-"

"Oh, do not be absurd, Detective," Ganondorf said reproachfully, shaking his head in disappointment. "Look at yourself; you can barely stand. Quite an achievement, considering the circumstances. In any case, I doubt you could manage to subdue the three of us even at full strength."

"I'm bringing you in," Mayberry repeated doggedly. "The government needs answers about what's been happening."

"You want an explanation for our actions, Detective? All you needed to do was ask!" Ganondorf stated, spreading his arms wide. "Our goal is to free this society from its violent and unproductive ways and help it rise to the greatness it is capable of. We envision an end to war, an end to poverty, an end to suffering! We will establish a legacy of eternal peace!"

"Really," Mayberry said. "Funny how all the major death, destruction, and panic lately started happening right after you showed up."

"Necessary acts!" Ganondorf protested hotly. "No battle is ever won without bloodshed! What we do is for the greater good of all!" He sighed. "You are so very like the Hylian, Detective. So brave, so skilled, so determined…and so utterly naïve. Men like you defend their tyrannical institutions to the death, wasting their lives away on unworthy causes. The 'America' that you defend is greedy, selfish, and cynical, a far cry from an ideal society. You are an intelligent man, Detective, you should see that better than anyone. This country objectifies its women, disrespects its minorities, insults its youth, and uses the effort of the many to provide for a select few! You cannot say that this is just!"

"You're right," Mayberry agreed, "it isn't perfect. I seriously doubt it ever will be. But I try to make it better. I go around being nice, helping people, and encouraging them to do the same. And if one person – _just one person_ – is better off because of that, then I consider that a success. If I fight for anything, it's that."

Ganondorf was silent for a moment. "You are a noble man, Detective. You have a measure of compassion and hope that I had thought was absent here. It is for that that I am truly sorry for what I am about to do." He took a step forward. "You cannot be allowed to leave this building alive, Detective. You know far too much. We must not allow you to bring anyone back here."

Mayberry was quiet for a moment. "So that's it, then? This is how it is?"

"I am afraid so," Ganondorf replied, nodding.

Mayberry exhaled deeply. "Then…I guess I'm sorry, too."

He turned and shot the short man directly in the chest.

The short man collapsed, the machine gun clattering out of his hand. Mayberry was already moving, dropping the shotgun and sprinting away. The lizard snarled and lunged at him, missing the detective by a hair. Mayberry raced over to the pile of boxes, grabbing his possessions and heading for the door. A rush of heat blew past him, warming his back. Mayberry glanced behind him. The incensed lizard was spitting fireballs at him, running after him on its stumpy legs.

With one final burst of speed, Mayberry ran through the door and out of sight.

* * *

Bowser ground his teeth in fury, charging towards the door.

"Stop, Bowser," Ganondorf commanded at Wario's side, causing the Koopa to halt in his tracks. "We cannot pursue the detective in broad daylight; it will raise too many questions, especially if you are the one chasing him. We need to tend to Wario."

After casting one last bitter look at the outside, Bowser reluctantly stomped back over to the other two.

Wario was groaning in pain, feebly pawing at the bullet wound on his chest. "Goddamnit! Why da hell did he shoot me? What'd I ever do ta him?"

"Simple tactical planning," Ganondorf replied. "He obviously knew about both my magic and Bowser's protective armor. He needed a distraction to escape, and you were the easiest target available."

"Agghh," Wario groaned. "It hurts, oh sweet mother it hurts!"

"Try not to move," Ganondorf advised. "I will attempt to remove the bullet with my magic."

"No, no, don't!" Wario waved him away, slipping out of Ganondorf's grasp and falling onto the floor. He began to thrash about, gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into fists. His skin swelled and rippled, pushing his shirt and jacket outwards. The swellings slowly traveled up his chest, gradually making their way to his throat.

As the bulges under his flesh made it to his mouth, Wario started making small choking noises. He shut his eyes, straining intensely, then spat.

The bullet clattered to the floor with a light ringing sound.

Wario wiped his mouth on his sleeve, getting to his feet. "Dat's better."

"How…did you do that?" Bowser asked slowly, staring at Wario with an incredulous look on his face.

"Dunno," Wario shrugged. "When da detective shot me, I could feel some stuff inside me shift around a little. I figured if I could shift it a lil' more, I could get da bullet outta me. Looks like I was right."

"That follows no conventional law of biology or magic that I know of," Ganondorf said, sounding puzzled. "Wario, what kind of internal system of organs do you have that is capable of such a feat?"

"The bigger question is, what do we do now?" Bowser interjected. "The detective has escaped, and he knows both where we are and what we're planning. He could bring others back here at any time. We need to be ready for when that happens."

"An excellent point, Bowser," Ganondorf agreed. "In a short while, I will take to my quarters and devise a stratagem for our defense. For now, we must finalize the details of our plan. Bowser, I believe we were about to discuss your role…"

They continued talking for several hours.

* * *

"Wait here," Alicia said. "I'll bring Elyan." she smiled sheepishly. "He'll be so happy - I want to make it a surprise." She disappeared into the house.

Sael felt the tears start to come again as she remembered her mother's face. She hated the shades of grey that made up the world around her. Nothing was simple, there was no 'good' - it seemed to her that everyone in this world, save Elyan, were shades of grey. No one who you could truly set yourself against and feel right in doing so. She had been able to set herself against IO. IO was Bad, with a capital B. But here, there was always something that made them do the bad things. Everyone thought they were doing the right thing.

Here was truly why she had been deemed a minor. In life experience, Sael wasn't yet three, and the majority of it wasn't good experience. Had she Jessica's memories she might have understood the good and bad in everyone and known how to deal with it. She might have understood the fact that those on this world would count her life on the other world as mere dreaming. She might have understood the concept of 'mother' early enough to do some good. But she didn't have those sixteen years. She had her two and something years of life experience, and that simply wasn't enough.

So when Elyan walked through the trees, relief flowed through Sael, followed by a rush of joy and love that turned tears of frustration and sorrow into tears of joy.

* * *

Elyan felt himself freeze when he saw who was standing there. Brown hair shifted out of a pair of big brown eyes. They were full of tears, but they were hers. The sadness fell away from her face as her eyes met his, and in a moment she'd bridged the distance between them and thrown herself into his embrace.

"Sael..." he laughed out loud for sheer joy.

Jeremy's voice sounded at the back of his mind. _So this is Sael, huh? _

He didn't sound that impressed.

_That's right._

Back in his arms at last.

_This__ is the girl you've been obsessed with __this entire time__?_ Now Jeremy sounded incredulous.

_Yes. If it's so hard to believe, look. I'll prove it to you._

Elyan opened his heart and bared how he felt about Sael to Jeremy.

_Woah. _Jeremy sent amusement. _She must certainly be something._

_She is. Just watch and see._

Returning his attention to the girl he was holding, he saw her eyes looking up at him, bright and full of joy once more. But what were these tears?

Beaming at her, he brought up a hand and wiped them away.

A mental image floated to him, accidentally brought up by Jeremy. Elyan, allowing his impulse to guide him once more, leaned over and kissed Sael.

* * *

The looks on their faces were too much for Alicia. Her brother was so in love with the slight, brown-eyed girl. Alicia turned and headed back to the house with a heavy heart. He'd know where to go when they wanted to come in.

* * *

The - _kiss,_ Sael thought - was a long one, and neither wanted to break it. But eventually, Elyan reluctantly let go of her. He held her at arm's length for a moment, looking her over, then let go.

"Come on - come home with me. You'll be amazed at the visitors we have." He took her hand.

She nodded and squeezed his hand, allowing him to lead the way.

"I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Sael."

Sael had always loved this name of hers. It had been a gift from her dearest friend in the world when she had deserved nothing. It had given her a chance to be herself instead of what someone told her to be. It had brought her alive and given her strength to be herself when that was the last thing anyone around her had wanted. It had given her something all her own, an identity and a hope for the future. She had not known it was possible to treasure her name any more than she already did. But that was until she heard Elyan say it, filling it with his love until it glowed like the sun.

She wanted to be around him forever and ever at that moment. To just share her joy of finding him again and hear him say her name like he did. And, for a moment, the entire world was right.

* * *

"Yeah, I have her with me. She's safe, and no, I didn't kidnap her. She wanted to come - she's been looking for him like he's been looking for her. Yeah, you can tell them she's with me. Wait, you gave them my address? What? By themselves? Oh, you too. Fine. See you tomorrow."

* * *

Mayberry staggered into Zeke's office, his eyes wide and haunted. His jacket hung loosely on his frame, and his holster seemed on the verge of falling off his hips. The rest of his clothes were rumpled and mussed, three large creases marking where the metal rings had been. He leaned slightly to one side, numb from fatigue. "Zeke," he said, his voice cracking.

Zeke was out of his chair in an instant, bounding over to Mayberry and babbling away at a hundred miles a minute. "Sam, holy crap! You're alive! What the hell happened to you? I was worried out of my mind! How'd you escape? What'd they do to you? Are you hurt? What-"

"Zeke," Mayberry rasped. "Enough."

He began to pitch forward, his legs giving way.

Zeke deftly caught him before he hit the ground, raising Mayberry to his feet. "C'mon, Sam, there we go," Zeke coached, helping him into a chair and returning to his desk. "So what happened? Tell me everything."

"I broke out of a guarded cell and made my way throughout a building full of armed men, confronted the leaders, shot one of them, and escaped," Mayberry recited dully, slumped low in his chair. "I walked all the way here, getting lost three times because I didn't know where I was and couldn't remember where I parked my car, gave the bouncer outside a twenty to let me in like this, and came in to see you."

Zeke whistled. "Jesus Christ, Sam. You sound like you've been through hell."

"I have," Mayberry agreed.

An awkward silence filled the room. Zeke fidgeted, unsure of what to say next.

Mayberry fixed him with a cold look. "Zeke, why did you give Ganondorf the coordinates?"

"Oh, Sam, don't do this to me!" Zeke's face was pained. "I didn't have a choice! I know how guys like him work! If I didn't do it, he'd kill you!"

"So?" Mayberry replied, sinking further into his seat. "I'm not worth that much."

"Sam, a guy like me doesn't get many friends," Zeke protested. "I sell information, that's my business. I've given away dirty little secrets of cops, government, Mafia, Yakuza, you name it. No one likes me except for you. If something ever happened to you, and I could've done something to stop it…" Zeke trailed off, gesturing emptily.

Mayberry didn't move, but his eyes softened slightly. "Thanks, Zeke."

"Don't mention it," Zeke said softly, giving a small smile. The two of them lapsed into a more comfortable silence.

Mayberry suddenly sat bolt upright, having received a flash of insight. "Oh _crap_, I need to talk to Easton! Zeke, lend me your phone!"

Zeke tossed him a small blue cell phone. Mayberry flipped it open, dialing in a number and pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?" Easton's voice said.

"It's me," Mayberry said tersely. "I've confirmed the location of the saboteurs. They're at the old detention center on Cedar Avenue."

"Are you completely sure of this information?" Easton asked doubtfully.

"Oh, I'm sure," Mayberry said. "Three hours ago I was inside the detention center, being held as a prisoner by the saboteurs. I escaped a few hours ago."

Easton was silent for a moment. "That certainly changes things. I'll send a S.W.A.T. team over as soon as I can."

"One more thing," Mayberry said quickly. "I know what their next attack is going to be. They're planning a raid on Fort Taylor; their target is the nuclear codes in the center of the base."

"Fort Taylor? Isn't that several hundred miles out in the California desert?" Easton said doubtfully. "How do they plan on getting there without being seen?"

"Hell if I know," Mayberry said helplessly. "All I know is that's their target. I couldn't find out anything else."

"Well, I'll notify Fort Taylor and put them on alert," Easton replied. "If an attack is coming, it'll be spotted from miles away. Good work, Sam. Take a few days off. We should be able to deal with them from this point."

"Thank you," Mayberry muttered, severing the connection.

"Well?" Zeke said anxiously.

Mayberry turned to look at him. "I think we might finally have an advantage."

* * *

"We feel free when we escape - even if it be but from the frying pan to the fire."

-Eric Hoffer

* * *

U92: Talk about a mood whiplash! Going from Sael and Elyan's joyful reunion to Mayberry having a _really_ bad day. Tell us, which did you like reading about more?

How did Wario survive being shot? You'll find out the answer…eventually.

Poor Alicia. I can definitely sympathize with her this chapter.

The conversation on American society between Mayberry and Ganondorf on American society has been written in my head for quite awhile. Both of them are quoting an internal discussion I routinely have with myself whenever I start thinking about America's shortcomings. Of course, my internal discussions don't usually end with someone being shot.

Well, what do you know? Things actually seem to be looking up for our heroes! Sael and Elyan have reunited, and Mayberry's helped the NSA finally get ahead of the villains. But don't think it's the end of the fic just yet! I picked that quote for a reason, and the Smashers are definitely about to enter the fire.

Sue2: That quote fits this chapter pretty well. I also enjoyed writing that second to last scene. ^.^


	17. 30

U92: Over a month! OVER A MONTH since we last updated! I know, I know, it's unforgivable. In fairness, Sue2 and I have been pretty busy lately, what with finals, tests, vacation (where Sue2 and I actually met in person, that was great) and writer's block hitting me really hard. This chapter does have a whole lot of action and suspense, though, so hopefully it's worth the wait.

Yes, the chapter title is another homage. It shouldn't be too hard to guess what it is.

Sue2: This chapter took a while, didn't it? Sorry about that, but that pesky thing called life keeps getting in our way. By the way: Ultiman and I did get to meet, and that was fun. Awkward as heck for the first few minutes, but once the silence was broken the talking began. And some of his plans for this series are very interesting.

But here we are, another chapter ready to go! Enjoy.

On with the fic!

-Chapter Sixteen-

_30_

Morning dawned over Los Angeles. The sun rose, birds sang, and people began their daily routines. They rose from their beds, showered, ate breakfast, and headed off to work. The city as a whole was a little twitchy due to recent events, but this day, at least, looked to be completely normal.

However, a certain part of the city was waking up to an entirely different kind of morning.

A giant purple dome had encased the abandoned detention center overnight, energy crackling and sparkling around the swirling material that made up the dome. Traffic was backed up for several blocks, the slack-jawed drivers gazing at the dome in pure disbelief. A crowd of curious onlookers had gathered on the sidewalks, talking to each other in lowered voices. A couple of them had pulled out cell phones and had started snapping pictures.

Within minutes, news crews had arrived.

Inside a secure facility, Easton was staring up at a giant screen that was displaying the purple dome.

A man came up behind him. "We've confirmed it, sir. This is the exact location Agent Mayberry gave us."

Easton sighed. "Set up a perimeter around the site and clear the area of civilians. I want this contained as soon as possible."

"Yes sir," the man replied, turning on his heel and walking back out of the room.

Inside the detention center, the Dark Hogs were pressed up against the windows, staring awestruck at the shimmering dome a few meters outside.

"Whoa," one of them breathed.

Ganondorf smiled. "Quite impressive, is it not? A maximum strength magical shield, the perfect defense against any sort of intruder. Nothing whatsoever can pass through it, and only I am able to deactivate it."

"Which means no one's gettin' in without our say-so," Wario finished gleefully.

One of the bikers turned back to face them, a confused look on his face. "Wait…how are _we_ supposed to get through it?"

Ganondorf appeared puzzled by the question. "Why would you have any reason to do so? Inside this facility, you have food, water, and shelter, as well as our own personal protection. Outside, you will find angry men willing to persecute you to the highest possible level for merely sharing the same oxygen as us. It is within your best interests to remain here."

"Yeah, but…we've got families out there, they'll be worried about us," the man said, his face twisting in confusion. "We need to leave so we can let them know we're okay."

"Quite impossible," Ganondorf stated firmly. "The barrier can only be removed under the most urgent of circumstances. I am afraid that you cannot reunite with your families until our victory is confirmed."

"What are you talking about?" the man cried, his voice growing in volume. "You can't keep us here! We have to go back to our homes!"

"None of us have that luxury any longer," said Ganondorf quietly. "We are at war, gentlemen. This is our home now."

Stunned into silence, the bikers slowly turned back to the windows and stared back up at the looming purple dome.

For a moment, just as he was waking, Elyan was confused. For one thing, he was sitting up, and not in his bed... and there was a warm weight on his side. He moved his hand towards it, his eyes still closed, and after a moment touched hair. He smiled. The weight on him was Sael, curled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

The two had stayed up until long after all the others had gone to bed, talking, laughing and remembering together, finally just sitting in silence and rejoicing in each other's company. Sael had fallen asleep after a while, and he had been loath to wake her again.

He felt content like he hadn't in months. He put his arms around Sael, savoring the moment. Looking down, he saw she was smiling in her sleep. Tenderness filled him, a surge of love and warmth that made him want to laugh out loud. But he didn't. She'd been so tired; he didn't want to disturb her sleep.

He didn't have to. A moment later, Sael began to stir. She didn't want to wake... she'd had the most beautiful dream... but what was this warmth all around her? It didn't feel like a blanket.

She opened her eyes and looked up, blinking for a moment at the gently smiling face of Elyan above her. _What? Elyan..._ then she began to smile as she remembered.

"Good morning," he said.

Sael drew in a deep breath and sighed, relaxing. "Good morning." How good it felt to be able to say that. She laughed softly and put her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.

"Any good dreams?" Elyan asked, hugging her in return.

"I thought I'd had the most beautiful dream of my entire life," Sael said, beaming at him. "But it turns out it was real. I think that's even better."

"Hmmm." he said, resting his cheek on her head. "Yes, a lot better."

Feeling comfortable and content, neither person moved for a long time. After a while, Alicia walked downstairs. She waved, smiled a little. But the smile was sad. _Does Alicia miss somebody?_ Sael wondered.

"Good morning, you two," Alicia said. The sadness disappeared from her expression. "How about some breakfast?"

"That sounds great, Alicia, thank you," Elyan said.

"Thank you," Sael said.

Alicia went about making waffles for the two of them, for her brother Jeremy and Sael, the girl he loved. How right they seemed together - her tiny form fit into his arms perfectly. There was a peace in her brother's eyes that she had never seen before. Even his voice was completely calm.

She looked away, focusing on the cooking. Sael had asked why she was sad the day before - why hadn't she made something up? With an answer like she'd given, Sael might start to wonder. She couldn't give Sael, or any of the others, any more clues as to what was making her heart sink so far.

The smell of food on the table brought three hungry warriors down the stairs.

Link looked over at the TV, which was showing a news report about the glowing purple dome. "Well, now we know where Ganondorf is," Link said. "But we still can't act. A barrier like that is next to impossible to break, and requires magic more than the three of us have. We'll have to wait for him to come out, which means the battle is still on his terms." He put his head in his hands.

Samus put her hand on Link's shoulder. She knew very well that her friend was being driven crazy, feeling unable to strike directly at Ganondorf. She might not know him as well as some, but she knew that Link was happiest with a clear path, knowing what he had to do and doing it, no matter the danger.

She looked over at Mario, and saw that he seemed to be itching to do something himself. Recalling what he had told of his past adventures, she realized that he was the same. He'd always had a path in front of him, and he looked more than a little frustrated now that he didn't.

_Now that I think about it, so am I. In my memories, I knew what to do. Keep myself alive and my enemies dead. We're all similar in that way, I guess. We three are doers. We foil or carry out others' plans, and we do it well. What I wouldn't give to have Zelda here, or Marth, or Ike... someone used to laying out a path where none was before. One of them would have a plan, one that it will probably take much longer for us to figure out. For now... I'll have to see what I can do to distract them before we all go stir-crazy._

"Come on," Samus said. "Let's eat something."

Several hundred miles out in the California desert, Sergeant Patrick Keelson walked into the war room of Fort Taylor and sat down in a chair, wearily mopping his brow with a handkerchief.

Eighteen hours ago, he'd received an unexpected call from the NSA. The terse and harried man on the other end of the line had told him that they had recently intercepted the plans of a group of terrorists known as "Smashers". The terrorists were apparently planning to launch an attack against Fort Taylor with the intent of stealing the nuclear bomb codes. They were to be considered heavily armed and highly dangerous.

Keelson sighed. He'd never wanted this sort of thing, preferring the quiet life of desk jobs to the death and drama active duty provided. He'd taken a nice, simple post in an out-of-the-way military fort specifically so that he could avoid being placed on the front lines. And look where this job had gotten him. Right smack dab in the middle of the biggest act of domestic terrorism since the Unabomber. God seemed to be personally out to get him.

He switched on a loudspeaker, wincing at the burst of feedback that followed. "Section 1, respond. Have you seen anything?"

"Negative, sir," a distorted voice replied. "None of the observation towers have reported any movement towards the base. No unauthorized vehicles have been seen in the last couple of hours." There was a pause. "Should we call off the alert, sir?"

"Not yet," Keelson said tiredly. "Give it a few more hours. We can't be too careful."

"Yes sir," the voice said, abruptly switching off his speaker.

Keelson leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. If there actually _were_ terrorists coming to attack them, he wished that they'd show themselves already and save him all this hassle.

Just outside Fort Taylor, two guards were standing at attention on either side of the main entrance, rifles in their hands. They stared into the distance, watching and waiting for any sign of the invading terrorists.

And they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

One of them scratched his nose.

"Hey, do you hear something?" the guard on the left-hand side asked, breaking the silence. "Like a low humming sound?"

The guard on the right-hand side listened closely, straining his ears against the background noise of the desert. "Yeah, I hear it," he said, sounding surprised. "Wonder what it is."

A purple spark of energy suddenly appeared in the space before them, crackling and hissing as it steadily increased in size, rapidly changing from a simple spark into a large purple sphere.

The men's eyes widened, their guns almost slipping out of their hands in shock. "What the hell is that?!" the left-hand guard exclaimed.

Wario stepped through the side of the sphere, holding a small machine gun. In one smooth, almost effortless movement, he shot both guards in the chest. The two men slumped to the ground, dark red stains spreading through their shirts.

The sphere dissipated, revealing a group of scared-looking bikers uncertainly clutching various rifles, pistols, and machine guns.

"Awright, listen up!" Wario declared, swiveling around to face them. "Remember da plan. Get in, do what we came 'ere for, shoot anyone who gets in da way. We clear?"

The bikers nodded dumbly.

Sliding his gun underneath his armpit, Wario reached over and pushed up his sleeve, exposing a digital watch fastened around his meaty wrist. He fiddled with the buttons, turning on the timer function. "We got half an hour to complete da mission," he announced, holding up his wrist for all the bikers to see. "Everybody ready?"

The bikers nodded again.

"Den here we go!" Wario crowed, hitting a button on the watch.

30:00

Turning back to the building, Wario kicked the doors open and charged inside.

Swallowing heavily, the bikers had no choice but to follow.

28:26

"Sergeant, do you copy? The terrorists have breached the facility! Repeat, the terrorists are inside!" The voice on the intercom sounded frantic. "They've gotten past the main gate and are moving into Section 1!"

Keelson awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright and slamming his hand on the intercom button. "Calm down, man!" he ordered. "What are you talking about? How on earth could they have gotten so close without any of the guards spotting them?"

"I-I don't know, sir," the voice stammered. "They just appeared out of nowhere, killed the guards and got inside! Nobody even saw them coming, sir!"

Keelson reacted instantly. "Send as many guards as you can to intercept them! Keep a squad in reserve, just in case. I want constant status updates until every one of them is either dead or arrested!"

"Yes sir!" the voice replied briskly, switching off his speaker.

27:06

Raymond Carter eyed the colonel sitting across from him with some trepidation. This man was a real tough nut to crack, no doubt about it. He'd skillfully maneuvered his way around Carter's questions with the ease of a seasoned interviewee. Thus far, Carter had gotten almost no information about the supposed scandal the colonel had been involved in, and he was running out of time for his interview. He'd need to step it up if he wanted anything tangible to bring back to Channel 4 News. Clearing his throat, Carter resumed his line of questioning.

"…This is all well and good, but I think you're avoiding the real issue here. Exactly what is your opinion on the incident in Qatar? You colleagues report that-" He stopped in midsentence, looking up from his notebook in confusion. "Are those alarms?"

The colonel rose from his seat. "I think we'll have to finish this interview another time," he said brusquely. "There seems to be something happening outside."

The door to the office opened, a grim-faced soldier sticking his head in. "Come with me, Mr. Carter," he ordered. "We need to get you to a secure location."

"No! I can't leave now!" Carter stated angrily, adjusting his glasses with one hand. "I need to get this interview finished!"

"Sir, we are under attack by terrorists," the soldier stated flatly. "You need to get somewhere safe."

"Seriously?" Carter said, reluctantly getting up from his chair. "Well, okay then."

The soldier gently took Carter by the arm, steering him down the corridor at a pace just above normal walking speed. Behind them, the faint sound of gunshots could be heard.

_Forget the colonel,_ _this__ is a scoop!_ Carter realized. Discreetly reaching into his pocket, he hit the speed dial button for his news station.

25:36

_BLAMBLAM! BLAMBLAM!_

Two more guards dropped, their heads jerking back unnaturally as they fell.

Wario laughed uproariously, yanking out the spent clip from his gun and replacing it with a fresh one. "Ha ha ha! I haven't had dis much fun in _years_! It feels real good ta be out and killin' again!"

He glanced back at the group of cowering bikers behind him, who were visibly trembling and clutching their weapons even tighter. "What's the matter wiv you guys, eh? Don't you remember what Ganondorf said 'bout motivation and all that? If you guys don't start pullin' yer weight soon, I'm gonna start bringin' yer families into dis. None of ya want dat to happen, right?"

The bikers shook their heads, still stunned into silence.

"So start helpin' out already! We didn't give you dose guns just for kicks, ya know!" He pointed at one of the bikers. "You. C'mere."

The frightened biker hesitantly made his way over to Wario. "Yes?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You're gonna kill da next guys we come across, got it?" Wario demanded.

The man's eyes widened, and his shivering increased tenfold. Before he could say anything, however, two guards holding large machine guns appeared around the next corner. "Freeze!" one of them barked. "Do not move! Get on the ground!"

Wario immediately grabbed the biker next to him and put an arm around his throat, aiming his gun right at the man's head. "Take one more step and I shoot him!" he declared loudly.

The guards halted, unsure of how to react to this.

"I'd listen ta me if I were you!" Wario went on, his eyes bright and a little crazed. "I'm completely nuts and I will do it! Won't I, guys?"

This last comment was directed towards the other bikers, who immediately chorused in the affirmative.

The two guards were growing more confused by the minute. Nothing in their training had prepared them for an attacker taking one of his own men as a hostage. Such a thing just didn't happen. What in the world was this man playing at?

While the guards were distracted, Wario shifted his hold on the man slightly, bringing the man's ear closer to his face. "Do it now," he muttered, his lips barely moving.

Swallowing heavily, the biker raised his pistol and shot both guards, killing them instantly. He choked back a sob, closing his eyes as hot tears began to blur his vision.

Wario released his hold on the man, spinning him around to face him and grinning encouragingly. "Dere now, dat wasn't so bad, was it? Just pull da trigger and all yer problems are solved. It's real easy once ya get down ta it. Admit it, didn't dat feel good?"

The man sobbed yet again, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"He'll be okay," Wario announced to the other bikers, who were watching the proceedings with a mixture of sympathy and pure terror. He proceeded down the corridor, stopping to peer around the corner the guards had come from.

Wario let out a cry of joy. "Elevators! Yeah!"

He spun around, beaming at the assembled men. "Time's a-wastin', boys. Let's head on up!" He darted around the corner, unable to contain his excitement.

Two of the bikers helped the now openly weeping man to his feet, supporting him as they slowly walked to the elevators. The rest of the men trailed behind them, more shaken than ever.

22:52

Mayberry sat down in his easy chair, holding a can of beer in one hand and a television remote in the other. Shifting slightly in his seat, he flicked on his television set. As the screen slowly warmed up, he set down the remote on the arm of his chair and opened the can of beer with a loud snap, taking a long swig. Putting down the can on the coffee table next to him, he picked up the remote and began idly flipping through the channels.

A day off had served Mayberry well. He'd slept like a baby for at least ten hours, had a long, hot, blissful shower, properly shaved for the first time in a week, and had a large, filling meal of raisin bran and blueberry muffins. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this relaxed.

"-coming this fall-"

"-works on countertops and baths-"

"-penetrated Fort Taylor-"

Mayberry blinked in surprise. _Fort Taylor? So the attack wasn't intercepted?_

He stopped flicking through the channels, cycling back until he reached the news station reporting on the attack.

A male reporter with short-cropped brown hair was speaking, a slight tremor of nervousness detectable in his voice. "…first floor has been taken by the terrorists. I repeat, the first floor of the building has been taken by the terrorists. Several guards have been killed in the invasion. The terrorists are now inside one of the elevators and are heading up to the higher floors. For those of you just joining us, there is an ongoing terrorist attack on Fort Taylor, a U.S. military base. We have received no indication so far that this is connected to the recent attacks on Los Angeles…"

Mayberry was out of his seat, hurriedly shrugging on his coat and dashing out the door before the reporter could say another word.

21:42

Breakfast was over, and Sael had eagerly asked for news of her friends.

Samus smiled. "Roy and Marth? They're doing just fine. Roy's been working with Melodia - his trumpet playing was beautiful before, but now it's amazing. Marth has taken over the Stadium and changed it a lot for the better. Now there's a library, a workshop for ROB and I, and a kitchen that puts Peach on cloud nine. And the rest of us, especially at mealtimes. Roy even managed to get us a piano. Now, more often than not, if you sleep in later than Marth does you'll wake up to music."

Sael smiled warmly back. "I saw Roy's trumpet when Elyan and I visited Melodia, and they told us about Marth playing the piano, but I never got to hear them. I'm glad they're happy..."

"You miss them?" Samus asked.

Sael nodded. "Those two were my first friends. I miss them a lot."

"Well, when we get back I'll be sure to tell them-" Samus stopped speaking as she caught the word 'attack' from the TV, where Alicia was flipping channels. "Wait, Alicia, go back."

"...there is an ongoing terrorist attack on Fort Taylor, a U.S. military base."

"Link! Mario!" Samus raced to the back door and called the two men in. They both ran inside and stared at the news report.

Link turned to Alicia. "Fort Taylor? What's that?"

"A military base," Alicia said. "Weapons and high-ranked officials, I think."

Link turned to Mario and Samus. "Ganondorf?" he asked.

"Could be," Samus said. "So far they have 'received no indication' that it's them, but it definitely could be."

"Wait a second," Alicia said. "Fort Taylor is miles away. They could never have gotten there fast enough. This can't be related to them."

"Can't-a Ganondorf teleport other people?" Mario put in.

Link nodded. "He can. I still haven't found out how many people or how far, but I think it depends on the size of the people. Himself or one of the other two, or all three of them even, wouldn't be a problem."

"So if we do go and it's not them, we've just put ourselves at risk of being captured, and leaving the city vulnerable to an attack by him while we're gone." Samus put her head to one side, thinking.

"And if-a we don't, he could-a get the weapons and-a whatever else is there." Mario nodded.

"We could split up," Link suggested.

"Wait," Alicia said. "Fort Taylor is miles away. If they're already in there, then nothing except maybe a plane would be able to get you three or even one of you there in time to stop them."

"But we have to go there!" Link protested. "I'm certain that Ganondorf is there. Put up the barrier to make sure no one can enter or exit his hideout while he's gone, then go off to get weapons. Are there guns there?"

"Likely, but it doesn't matter," Alicia said, her voice rising. "Because if he can teleport, by the time we're halfway there he'll be done and back!"

Link looked solemn. "Then we'll have to try a teleport." he pulled out the mirror that Zelda had enchanted. "I can drain some magic from this, and I can use my own."

"Link, don't be an idiot," Samus said. "You know you don't have the power for that kind of thing. You'll kill yourself. Then what would we do? What would this world do? With us outnumbered, Ganondorf could do whatever he wants and we wouldn't be able to stop him. And what would Zelda do? If we had magic to give you, we would. But neither of us do."

Link looked down, and slowly lowered the mirror. It shook slightly in his grip, and his knuckles were white. "He will kill there," Link said. "He will kill people and kidnap anyone of importance to blackmail others. You said there were military officials there - he will take them and get anything they know from them, then kill them. We have to try! These people have no idea what they're dealing with."

"We could send someone, at least to find out what damage has been done," Samus said. "Find out if he's taken anyone, or gained any massive weaponry. Or if it was even him."

"I'll go," Link said.

"No, you won't," Alicia said. "Not unless you walk. This is useless: they said on the repot that there's no indication it's connected! And even if it is, there is nothing you could possibly gain from getting there hours too late!"

"I've fought Ganondorf before," Link said, "Many, many times."

"So you automatically know best in any situation he's involved in?" Alicia snapped. "I've lived in this world for every one of my twenty-one years. If anyone knows about how this world works, it's _me_. I'm happy to take you anywhere to intercept an attack of his, but I will not drive for hours and hours just to arrive way too late! I am _not_ a taxi service!"

"Alicia!" Samus said.

Alicia turned to her. "I didn't ask for this," she said. "I didn't ask to have three extraterrestrials living in my house, and to be honest, I don't know how long this will work before I go broke!"

"Would you prefer we leave? Take the stress off of your finances?" Samus asked coldly.

"We'll go, if you like," Link said, motioning to the door. "But it's your city Ganondorf is trying to rule."

"Stop! Stop-a the fighting!" Mario said, moving to where Alicia, Samus and Link stood.

"Stay out of this!" Samus and Alicia snapped at the same time. Mario's reply was lost in the other three all talking at the same time.

Sael and Elyan looked, horrified, at each other. _We have to stop them before one of them says something that can't be taken back,_ Sael thought, hoping it would show on her face.

Elyan quickly squeezed her hand, then let go. He moved towards his sister, and Sael went to the others.

A moment later, Elyan raised his voice in a deafening, "STOP IT!" The verbal battle was drowned out by Elyan's shout. Jeremy had taken some theatre lessons as a child, and as a result his lungs were strong. Sheer surprise at his volume caused the other four to fall silent.

Four gazes, full of ire, were directed his way. Sael moved to his side.

"Please," she said. "Please don't fight."

Alicia was about to say something, but Elyan cut her off. "Please, Alicia. Don't say anything you'll regret later."

"Being away from the people you love is driving you all crazy," Sael said. "I was like this until yesterday. And you four have a harder job than I ever could. But please, don't fight."

"Can't you see that you need each other?" Elyan continued, and Sael fell silent to let him speak. Alicia was his sister after all, and this his house, so he had more right than her to try to calm them. "Alicia, they're doing their best to keep the city safe. It's a really hard job, especially since they've all left the ones they love back on the other world, with no way of knowing if they'll ever see them again." He turned to the three Smashers. "Link, Samus, Mario... Alicia's trying her best too. I know you want to go to Fort Taylor, but Alicia has a point. And Alicia's been helping you so much."

Alicia sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders and her head hanging down. "I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I was just taking out my anxiety."

"And I'm unused to homesickness. I'm sorry," Samus replied.

"I guess we're all going a little crazy right now." Link smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry too, Alicia."

"And-a you do have a point," Mario said.

Elyan and Sael smiled at each other, then at the four in front of them.

"Thanks," Elyan said.

"None of you have really done anything wrong," Sael added.

Alicia looked up, then gave the five of them a half smile. "I'll be back in a minute." She turned and headed upstairs.

16:23

A group of guards clustered around the elevators on the second floor, tight-lipped and guns at the ready. They watched as the LEVEL 1 light above the right-hand elevator blinked out at the exact moment the LEVEL 2 light flashed on. With several protesting groans from the machinery, the elevator came to a stop. The guards tightened their grips on their weapons, ready to open fire at a moment's notice.

_Ding!_

The elevator doors rumbled open, exposing a completely bare elevator car.

The guards blinked in confusion, some of them lowering their weapons. They exchanged looks with one another, conveying messages in the space of a single glance. None of them spoke. A single word could be all the enemy needed to gain the advantage.

One of the guards suddenly held up a hand for silence, indicating a point further down the corridor. The men listened hard, trying to catch whatever they were supposed to be hearing. In the total silence that followed, the guards managed to make out the faint sounds of shifting machinery, and then-

_ding!_

_They're in the elevator on the other side of the floor_, one of the guards mouthed. The rest nodded, raising their guns and moving into a strike formation. They slowly padded down the hall, edging closer and closer to the other elevator.

Standing on top of the first elevator, Wario smirked, the quiet footfalls leading away from him letting him know that his plan had worked. Bending over, he unlatched a hinge on top of the metal surface and pulled it open, exposing the inside of the elevator below. He dropped down into the elevator, bending his knees to ensure a light impact. Wario raced out the door, running out into the second floor and towards the main hallway, firing at the unprotected backs of the guards.

_BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!_

The first two guards died instantly without the slightest idea of what had hit them.

_BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!_

The next two guards were turning around when they got hit by the hail of bullets, their guns sliding out of their hands and hitting the floor a split second before they did.

_BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!_

The third set of guards had actually started to fire when they were hit, dying with their fingers on the trigger.

_BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!_

The final set of guards, being the last in Wario's line of fire, had a longer window of time to react than their comrades. They were already spitting hails of bullets towards Wario by the time he had turned to them, forcing him to dive to the side to avoid the deadly salvo. He slid down the hallway, continuing to fire from a low angle. The guards were hit several times in the chest and neck, their blood spattering the walls behind them.

Wario got to his feet, satisfied. Snapping in a new clip for his gun, he strolled through the hall and down several other corridors before stopping in front of the other elevator. The doors were open, displaying a huddled mass of the bikers timidly aiming out into the hallway. They stared at him with naked fear in their eyes.

"Well?" Wario demanded. "What are ya standin' around fer? We got work ta do, let's move it!"

Startled, the bikers quickly piled out of the elevator and hurried down the hallway. Wario followed at a leisurely pace.

15:46

"Sir!" one man called out. "They've made it halfway through the second floor!"

Easton cursed. "Tell Keelson to set up blockades around the stairs and elevators. We can't let them move any further inside."

"Yes sir," the man replied instantly, picking up a phone and raising it to his ear.

Easton turned to the other side of the room. "Where are those reinforcements I ordered!" he yelled.

"Still half an hour away, sir," another man reported.

Easton repressed an enormous sigh of frustration. The sudden inexplicable appearance of the terrorists inside Fort Taylor had caught them completely off guard, forcing them to frantically shift the focus of their monitoring equipment over from the purple dome to the fort in an attempt to try to figure out what was happening. The man in charge, Sergeant Keelson, was holed up in the war room, while the reporter who had broken the story to the press was trapped in another area of the building. With every second that passed, the terrorists gained more ground and more men died. Easton had never found himself in a situation this out of control.

"Agent Mayberry to see you, sir," the guard at the door said, breaking into Easton's thoughts.

Easton turned. "Let him in."

Mayberry strode inside the room, taking in everything with a sweep of his eyes before his gaze settled on Easton.

"Sam," Easton said, his eyebrows raising slightly. "This is unexpected. Shouldn't you be on vacation?"

"I'm still working this case, aren't I?" Mayberry asked curtly. "If anything relevant is happening, I need to be on top of it. What's the situation here?"

"We're still trying to figure that one out ourselves," Easton replied. "The terrorists somehow managed to get within the compound without being detected. They've been moving through the building floor by floor, heading straight for the room containing the codes. Our man on the inside assures me that the room is heavily guarded and impenetrable without the right clearance, but I'm not taking that for granted. Our primary objective at this point is to get this incident contained without spilling any more blood. We've been monitoring the fort continuously ever since the attack started, receiving continual updates on the situation from the men in charge of the base. So far, it looks like we're losing."

Mayberry nodded, taking all this in. "So what happens now?"

"Now we just stand here and wait for news of any more developments," Easton said, giving a small shrug. "That's pretty much all we can do at this point. You want to pull up a chair, or…?"

"I'll stand, thanks," Mayberry declined graciously, folding his arms.

The two men turned to the screen in the middle of the room, staring at grainy images of the dead guards lying in the corridors.

14:01

"Squad 14 is down, sir!" the voice on the intercom stated urgently. "The terrorists are still on the move! Nothing we've done has even slowed them down!"

Keelson hurriedly wiped sweat from his forehead, red-faced and panting. "Do not pull back! We must protect the codes at all costs!" He coughed into his shoulder, then continued. "Send double squads around on both sides of the terrorists. Use a-" Keelson broke off, overwhelmed by a second round of violent coughing.

"Sir?" the voice ventured. "What was that again?"

Keelson tried to respond, but was only able to issue a series of grunts and hacking noises in between coughs. He slowly toppled forward, smacking into the console in front of him with a dull thud. Frantically gasping for breath, he slipped out of his chair and onto the floor, leaving a gleaming, slimy trail of sweat behind as he slid down the side of the console.

"Sir, can you hear me?" the voice asked more urgently. "Sergeant, please respond!"

Keelson could only lie there helplessly on the floor, eyes bulging and breathing in strained gasps.

13:28

"We've lost contact with Sergeant Keelson," a man with a phone to his ear told Easton.

"What happened? Did the terrorists get him?" Keelson asked him.

The man shook his head. "They're nowhere near him. The last man in communication with him said he heard gasping and coughing on the other end of the line."

Easton scowled darkly, making a mental note to stop thinking that this couldn't possibly get any worse. "Tell Mitchell to send a team over to the war room to see what's wrong with him. If he needs medical attention, try to find a way out of there and get him to a hospital."

The man turned back away from him, relaying the instructions into the phone. After several minutes of rushed conversation, the man turned back to Easton and Mayberry. "Okay, there's a stairwell a couple feet away from the war room. One of the squads is close to the stairwell on the second floor, but the terrorists are between them and the stairs."

"Have them attempt to go around the terrorists," Easton directed. "If necessary, engage them, but getting to Keelson is their first priority."

"Understood," the man replied, bringing the phone up to his ear again.

Mayberry looked confused. "Why do they need to go up that one specific staircase? Shouldn't they find one that's less dangerous to get to?"

"Sadly, we don't have that option," Easton said curtly, his eyes still on the screen that was tracking the terrorists' progress. "The staircases and elevators are scattered throughout the layout of the building, and each only goes up one floor. The fort was primarily designed like this to prevent thefts or security breaches, but the general layout is now working against us. The guards are all over the place, and we can't concentrate them into large enough teams to fully subdue the terrorists before they reach the room where the codes are stored. The men we're sending have a very slim chance of even making to Keelson in time, never mind getting him out."

"So what are you saying?" Mayberry asked disbelievingly. "The terrorists can't be stopped?"

Easton smiled humorlessly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Sam. We still have one last trap for them in place. It's a long shot to be sure, but there's a definite chance it could work."

Mayberry returned his attention to the main screen. "I hope you're right," he murmured.

9:57

Wario halted in place, frowning. The bikers shuffling along behind him stopped, looking for explanation for his sudden stop.

"Shhh," Wario whispered, his nose wrinkling up. "I dink I heard somethin' move over dere."

Everyone in the group listened as hard as he could, straining to hear any possible sounds of movement.

A quiet footfall sounded, barely audible even in the total silence of the hallway. Wario immediately aimed his gun at the approaching T-intersection, his finger tightening on the trigger.

A guard suddenly appeared in the intersection, sprinting from one end to the other. He opened fire on Wario and the bikers, spraying a hail of bullets at them before disappearing into the other side of the intersection. Wario barely managed to throw himself to the side in time to avoid the gunfire, but two of the bikers weren't so lucky. Both of them were shot several times, falling instantly.

"Damn, damn, damn!" Wario cursed, scrambling to his feet. "Get ta some cover, now! Da rest of ya, take up positions! Dere might be more of 'em!"

The bikers reacted instantly, bypassing the dead men and hurrying into a nearby office. Wario followed, aiming his gun threateningly at the empty intersection before closing the door behind him.

Barely a second after the door had closed, more guards ran through the intersection, firing wildly into the hallway. Inside the office, Wario quickly got on all fours, curling up into a tight ball. The bikers were already flat on the floor, their guns lying abandoned beside them.

Bullets smashed through the pane of glass in the door, pinging off the walls and clattering onto the floor. A thick rain of glass fell onto the prone form of Wario, who had wisely turned his face towards the ground as soon as the shooting resumed.

All too suddenly, the room became still, utterly silent except for the rapidly fading sounds of pounding footsteps.

Wario got up, reflexively brushing glass off his hat as he did so. He cautiously opened the door, peering out with narrowed eyes.

The hallway had returned to its previous state of total silence, the two corpses laying on the ground the only indication that anything had happened at all.

Wario closed the door, flashing the bikers a quizzical look. "Now what da hell was dat all about?" he asked of nobody in particular. "Not much of an attack, really. Dose guys seemed more focused on getting' past us den on actually fightin' us. What's up wiv dat, eh?"

The bikers shrugged, still visibly shell-shocked from the surprise attack as well as the sudden loss of their comrades.

"I mean, we're a pretty damn big threat 'ere, and dose guys just went past us like we was nothin'!" Wario continued, beginning to pace back and forth. "Where are dey goin' in such a hurry, eh? What's more important dan us, da guys tryin' ta steal da friggin' nuke codes?"

He straightened up, shaking his head. "Naah, it doesn't really matter anyway. C'mon, we're wastin' time 'ere. Let's get goin'." He went out the door, heading straight for the T-intersection and hanging a left. The bikers quickly followed.

5:37

"They're in," the man on the phone announced. "Keelson is secure."

Easton breathed a sigh of relief. "The terrorists?"

"Heading in the opposite direction," another man stated. "The guards have a clear path out of the base."

"Good, good," Easton replied. "Keep us posted."

Mayberry shifted a little closer to Easton. "You know, now might be a good time to spring that trap of yours," he hinted.

"Not yet," said Easton, shaking his head. "We'll know when the time is right."

5:07

_BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! BLAM! BLAM!_

A large number of guards ducked and weaved in and out of various rooms connected to the main hallway, firing at Wario and the bikers whenever they could get a clean shot.

The bikers, in turn, were scampering through the hall in a chaotic fashion, returning fire only when Wario irritably reminded them to do so. Every so often, one was felled by the onslaught of bullets headed their way, a victim of a lucky shot. Wario himself was far out in front of the others, puffing and panting as he worked his legs to go as fast as they possibly could.

"Damn guards," he wheezed, "How da hell did dey catch up with us so quickly?"

Even if any of the bikers had a response to his question, none of them were able to speak in anything more than a suffering high-pitched wheeze.

"Stairs!" Wario called out, pointing to a stairwell just barely visible at the end of the hallway. The group increased its pace, trying their hardest to avoid the shots ricocheting off the walls.

Turning back briefly to dispatch two more guards, Wario leapt onto the stairwell and began climbing the stairs two at a time. The bikers scrambled to catch up, shooting randomly behind them in a desperate effort to shake off their pursuers. Undaunted by the waves of erratic gunfire, the guards quickly organized themselves into two groups and headed up the stairs after them.

Wario burst into the third floor hallway, eyes quickly scanning the corridor for any signs of the room that held the codes. His eyes fell upon a large steel door at the end of the hallway that was triple-bolted shut and had an electronic keypad next to it. He grinned. "Jackpot!" he announced to the exhausted bikers just now arriving behind him. "C'mon, let's keep going!"

The group began one last mad dash towards the end of the hallway, several of the men stumbling to the ground in fatigue and promptly being shot by the pursuing guards.

"Return fire! Return fire! RETURN FIRE!" Wario yelled, shooting furiously with his own gun.

Nearly flying across the hallway, the bikers slammed into the far wall, Wario getting tangled up in a mess of bodies. Shaking himself free, he barked orders at the weary men. "Form a line right 'ere and keep firin'! Take out as many of 'em as ya can! I need as much time as ya can give me!"

With sunken, dead eyes, the bikers shuffled into position and began firing at the mass of guards pouring into the hallway. They started dropping in seconds, being picked off one by one by the guards.

Wario glared at the keypad. _Damn gizmo, _he thought to himself_. Dere's no way I can guess da code before I get caught._ He glanced at his watch, checking to see how much time he had left.

2:33

_Time's runnin' out. Guess I'll just have to resort to good ol' brute strength. _He grabbed onto the door handle with both hands, bracing a foot against the wall and attempting to pull it off its hinges. Wario twisted and strained to wrench the door off, feeling the beginnings of a dull ache in his arms. Despite all his efforts, the door didn't budge.

Behind him, three men fell to the ground.

Wario let go of the door and allowed himself a split-second breather before latching onto the door again and straining with all his might. Beads of sweat emerged on his forehead, running down his face and below his collar. His knuckles were chalk-white, his fingers wrapped around the handle in a vise-like grip. Slowly but surely, the door bent inward, the first deadbolt popping off.

Wario smiled, releasing the handle and taking another rest. In the corner of his eye, he could see several more men slumping to the ground, heavily riddled with bullets. This spurred him on to give one last crack at the door, seizing the handle and pulling as though his life depended on it.

Just when it felt like his hands would give out and his muscles would burst from exertion, the door was yanked free, the remaining two deadbolts flying from their slots as the door crashed to the ground. Without a moment's hesitation, Wario grabbed the few men that were still standing and pulled them through the doorway in front of him.

To his consternation, the room was pitch black. "Hey, what's goin' on in 'ere?" he called out indignantly. "Who turned off the lights?"

The lights suddenly flashed on, temporarily blinding him. He squinted into the blinding glare, trying to make sense of what he was seeing – then his mouth dropped open in shock.

The room was completely empty save for a locked door at the far end. Standing in front of the door were at least half a dozen armed guards, all of which had weapons trained on him.

_Trap. It was a trap, _Wario thought distantly, dimly aware of the rest of the guards rushing in behind him. _Those magnificent bastards._

"Drops your weapons and get your hands up!" one guard ordered. Wario and the bikers had no choice but to comply, throwing down their guns and raising their arms in submission. Three of the guards stepped forward, kicking the weapons over to the side while still keeping a tight hold on their machine guns.

Wario took another look at his watch, already knowing what he would see.

:10

"You are all under arrest," the first guard announced.

:07

One of the bikers whimpered softly.

:04

Turning his head slightly, Wario stared at his watch as the final seconds counted down.

:03

:02

:01

:00

Staring at the flashing numbers on the watch, Wario felt a slow smile spread across his face, which quickly turned into a snicker. He began giggling intensely under his breath, his shoulders shaking as he attempted to hold in his laughter.

"What's so funny?" a guard demanded.

That did it. Wario burst out laughing, tears rolling down his cheeks as his belly shook with loud, raucous laughs. "_You_, of course!" he gasped. "All of ya! You, you, you-" he stated, pointing at each guard in turn, but stopping when he came to the confused bikers standing next to him. "Well, maybe not you guys. Yer buddies gave their lives fer dis. Dat's worth a little respect, at least. But all of you-" He turned back to the guards. "Ya _fell for it!_ Ya actually _fell_ for it! Man, dat's just _priceless!_"

"Fell for what?" the guard asked suspiciously.

"This whole thing!" Wario declared. "Ya honestly thought we were breakin' in 'ere to steal codes for some ginormous _bombs_? Where da hell did ya dink we'd use 'em, eh? On da city? Ya really dought we wanted ta rule a big smokin' crater? Man, you guys are dumb!"

"Then why are you here, if you don't want the codes?" the guard said, simultaneously confused and angry. "What's the point of all this?"

"Distraction, genius," Wario said in a falsely sweet sing-song tone. "See, dere are dis group of guys who're followin' us around, messin' wiv our plans, and generally stickin' dere noses where dey don't belong. Now, Ganondorf – he's da guy in charge – he had an idea: what if we take dis one guy dat we've kidnapped, make him dink dat we're tryin' ta bust in 'ere an get da codes, den let 'im go and have 'im tell 'is bosses what we're up ta. So me and da guys 'ere are runnin' around dis place for half an hour holdin' everyone's attention while back over in da city, our _real_ objective gets done with no one watchin', no one listenin', an no one da wiser until it's all over. And whaddaya know, we managed to pull it off!"

"Yeah, nice plan," the guard deadpanned. "One minor flaw, though – _you're still our prisoner._"

Wario grinned. "Dat's where you're wrong." He stuck a hand in his collar and fished around inside his shirt, pulling out a small glowing purple sphere that was attached to a brown cord hanging around his neck. "Emergency teleportation spell," he announced. "Provides one trip to a certain spot when I do…dis!" In one sudden movement, he crushed the sphere in his hand.

A sphere of swirling purple energy swelled from Wario's hand, growing to encompass his entire body. "So long, suckers!" he crowed as the sphere vanished with a flash of light.

The bikers could only stare at the smoking spot where he had just been, unable to grasp the extent of his betrayal.

"Wait, something's just happened," reported the man on the phone. "The guards are reporting that the leader of the terrorists has escaped."

"What? How?" Easton questioned, his eyebrows rising. "I thought the guards had the terrorists surrounded!"

"They said there was some bright light and then he just vanished," the man on the phone reported a trifle dubiously.

"Magic. Great," Mayberry groaned. "They use that," he added when Easton shot him a questioning glance.

"There's another thing, too, sir," the man on the phone added. "Before he…left, the leader mentioned something about this entire attack being a diversion. He said it was to prevent the 'people watching them' from interfering with what they were actually trying to accomplish today. I believe he was referring to us, sir."

Easton's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their head. "_A __diversion__?!"_ he exclaimed, his voice rising. "_What could possibly be so important that they would attempt to take control of __**nuclear weapons **__to create a diversion for it?!?_"

The sphere dissipated, leaving Wario standing before Ganondorf and a group of anxious bikers. "Worked like a charm," he said proudly. "No one suspected anythin'."

"Excellent," Ganondorf stated, patting him on the shoulder as he drew closer. "You have done very well, Wario."

"Don't mention it," Wario replied, beaming. "It was nothin'."

"Hey, where are all the guys who were with you?" one of the bikers asked uncertainly.

Wario turned to him, his face the picture of painful sorrow. "They didn't make it," he said quietly. "I did what I could, but…I couldn't save dem."

A shocked silence descended over the bikers as Wario's words sank in. Slowly, the men turned and walked away, conversing with each other in low monotone voices.

When they had completely left the room, Wario began snickering. "Heh. I can't believe dey bought such a sob story. Idiots." He looked over at Ganondorf. "So when's Bowser s'posed ta get back?"

"Seeing as your time limit ran out a mere minute or two ago, I would have to say about…now."

Perfectly on cue, a slightly larger purple sphere appeared in the space that Wario had just vacated. As it vanished, it left a satisfied looking Bowser and a pile of various construction materials in its wake.

"Your mission was successful, I take it?" Ganondorf asked him.

"Yeah. I got everything you asked for," Bowser replied, indicating the heap of metal and wire. "Parts, original materials – I even got the plans for the prototype version of the gate." He produced a large piece of paper wrapped up into a tube from behind his back, walking forward and depositing it in Ganondorf's hands.

Ganondorf slowly unrolled the paper, examining it closely. "Yes…yes, this is feasible.." he murmured to himself.

He looked up from the paper, smiling radiantly. "Wonderful news, my friends. The gate shall prove quite easily to assemble. If at any time we are lacking a necessary component, the simplest of spells will be able to conjure it for us. The gate should be fully operational within days."

"Awesome!" Wario cheered. "Den we can, uh…" He petered out, scratching his head confusedly. "Why are we buildin' dis, again?"

"To gain access to Hyrule," Ganondorf explained patiently. "We are going to summon a multitude of creature souls from the Hyrulean netherworld and place them in human hosts. This will provide us with an army to crush the Smashers with."

"Ohhhhhh….right, right, right," Wario said, nodding. "Like dat Armogohma guy, right?"

"Precisely," said Ganondorf, regarding both Bowser and Wario with a serious expression. "Gentlemen, this day marks a turning point for us. No longer are we ineffectual pests, briefly emerging to feebly strike at the enemy before cowardly retreating to our lair. With this device at our command, we will finally have true power at our very fingertips. And no one – not even the Smashers – will be able to stand in our way."

"The difference between success and failure is your ability to adapt to your enemy."

-Jack Bauer, _24_

U92: Anyone see that coming? Anyone? Anyone at all?

The best part about it is, the revelation about Wario's mission is _not the biggest twist we have planned for this story._ There's something **much **bigger coming down the road.

Dear lord, anxiety really messes up the good guys. It almost makes me feel guilty for what's going to happen to them next.

God, I hate writing with a time limit. For almost _every single scene_ in this chapter, I had to constantly stop and ask myself how many minutes this action or that action would take in real time. Yeah. Probably not using that again.

How was the "real time" aspect of this chapter? Did the lengths of time each section took seem realistic?

Anyone catch the TV Tropes reference?

Interesting little fact: I think Ganondorf talks with a slight British accent. I've been imagining his voice in my head as I write for him and I only recently realized he has an accent. It's not as noticeable as Wario's, but it's there.

I was quite surprised by how easy it was to find a _24_ quote that fit the theme of this chapter. It's uncanny how well it matches up, isn't it?

Sue2: Anybody else feel like shooting Wario? I DO. Jerk.

I didn't get much in that chapter, but that's alright, I got to write the shouting match that's been brewing a while. I mean, they're amazing to be able to make it this long. Is anyone really surprised that they're cracking up? I hope this ends soon, for their benefit. Heh... the mirror was there for the entire argument, which means the others were watching them shout at each other.

Something much bigger indeed. ^u^ It will be very fun. I can't wait. Thanks for tuning in, even after this whole time!

REVIEW!


	18. Capture

U92: A new chapter in under a week! Are we good or what?

This one's a real wham chapter, so brace yourselves!

Sue2: This chapter is actually a lot shorter than our others. Sorry about that, but we can't really continue the story from where we ended it there... I hope you enjoy it all the same!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Seventeen-

_Capture_

_

* * *

_

Work on the gate began within the hour. Ganondorf and Wario rounded up the grieving bikers and put them to work, assigning shifts and delegating tasks with all the swiftness of construction foremen. Having been given their instructions, the men picked up the crude tools that Ganondorf had conjured for them and set about building the gate.

Bowser and Ganondorf looked over the proceedings, watching Wario alternate between shouting orders at the men and helping out himself.

"The ease at which Wario is directing the men is nothing short of remarkable," Ganondorf commented. "I would never have suspected that Wario was in any way inclined towards leadership."

"Just goes to show how people can have hidden depths to them, I suppose," said Bowser. "Oh, by the way, there was something I forgot to mention that happened during the mission."

Ganondorf blinked in surprise, shifting in place to give the Koopa his full attention. "Is this important?"

Bowser shrugged his massive shoulders. "Not really. I thought it was interesting, that's all. See, I had just gotten inside the building when I heard this loud noise…"

* * *

_SLAM!_

_Bowser froze in place, his heart thundering in his ears. He quickly scurried back around a corner and cautiously peeked out, scanning the corridor for signs of movement. Protests and denials against what he had just heard coursed through his mind. No one was supposed to be here! The place was closed; it had said so on the sign outside! Hell, he'd had to walk through endless amounts of darkened, deserted corridors just to get here, all of which seemed to be a clear sign that the institute was completely deserted! He shouldn't be running into anybody!_

_The sound of quick, semi-quiet footsteps got his attention, gradually growing louder and louder. A human shadow could be seen on the wall opposite him, growing longer in size as its owner shuffled closer and closer to the corner Bowser was hiding behind. Gritting his teeth, Bowser decided to bite the bullet and face this new arrival head-on. _

_He sprang out from behind the corner, landing directly in front of an older man with disheveled white hair._

"_AAH!" Bowser and the man cried out, springing backwards simultaneously._

_After a moment's cowering in fear, both of them lowered their arms and came forward to examine each other. "Say…I know you!" the man exclaimed. "You're one of the freaks who destroyed my gate!"_

_The voice triggered a recent memory in Bowser's mind. "The crazy scientist who brought us here?" he asked disbelievingly._

"_My _name _is Dr. Dean Devlin, and I am not crazy!" the man shouted indignantly. "Furthermore, _I _didn't bring you here. I would have been perfectly happy if you had just stayed were you were," he added bitterly. "But no. You just _had_ to come along and spoil everything for me! You ruined my demonstration, trashed my gate, and destroyed my career! I was fired for what happened in that lab! _Fired!_ They said my work was the direct cause of all the recent attacks on the city!"_

"_Well…wasn't it?" Bowser questioned, inclining his head meaningfully. "Your gate got us here, so…"_

"_No!" Devlin almost shouted. "It was_ your _fault! _You_ and the others are responsible for what's been happening, not me! But did they listen? No! They kicked me out of the institute in disgrace! Ungrateful bastards! _I'm_ the top physicist they have! My research has pushed the project _light-years _ahead of its projected development! And this is the thanks I get?"_

"_Yes, well…" Bowser coughed, uncertain of how to halt Devlin's rant. "So why are you here, anyway?"_

_Devlin straightened himself up, brushing dust off his lab coat haughtily. "If you _must _know," he sniffed, "I'm here to take back my gate. The suits wouldn't even let me have what's rightfully mine. If I'm going to go into obscurity without a penny to my name, I'll do it with my own property, thank you very much. After all," he laughed bitterly, "it's not like I have anything left to lose." _

"_Hm. That's understandable, I suppose," Bowser conceded, stepping aside and beginning to continue past Devlin. "Now if you'll excuse me-" _

"_Hold on," Devlin said suddenly. "You didn't tell me why _you're_ here."_

_Bowser grinned toothily at him. "I'm going to steal the plans and supplies for your gate," he said in a low, throaty voice, "then build our own gate and use it to summon an army of spirits to crush the Smashers and anyone else who tries to get in our way. That answer your question?"_

_Devlin shrank away from him. "Yes, yes," he said hurriedly before stopping in confusion. "Wait…who are the Smashers?"_

"_They're three of the guys who came through the gate," Bowser explained. "They're our enemies – well, they are __now__, at least." He paused, trying to sort this out in his mind. " Before we came here, it wasn't really clear just what kind of relationship we had with them. We'd worked together against common opponents, sure, but we hadn't had to fight anyone for awhile and I sure as heck didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. Ganondorf might've been planning something before we showed up here, but I'll probably never know for certain. You know, sometimes I wonder if the only reason we're fighting each other is because that's what our real selves do. Why don't we ever take the opportunity to make new lives for ourselves instead of defining our identities by our counterparts? Of course," he sighed, "if I mentioned this to Ganondorf or Wario, they'd probably laugh at me."_

_Devlin's head was spinning. "What? What are you talking about? You're not all working together? What do you mean by 'real selves'? Who have you been fighting? What? What?"_

_Bowser sighed. "Look, how about we skip the twenty questions and I'll just tell you all about us. You have to promise you won't tell anybody, though." _

"_Oh, you can count on that," Devlin said grimly. "No one took me seriously when I _had_ credibility as a scientist, so I see no reason why they should do so now."_

_His fears slightly assuaged, Bowser launched into his tale of the Smashers' history. He began with their creation by the Hands and continued on into the rest of their lives so far, going into detail on the first rebellion, the Subspace invasion, the second rebellion, and the final confrontation with Master Hand and Crazy Hand. Devlin listened with rapt attention, occasionally pausing Bowser in midsentence to ask a question or clarify a particular detail. As he continued talking, Bowser couldn't help but notice the small smile that was growing on Devlin's face. _

* * *

"…after that, we went into the lab, took what we wanted, and parted ways," Bowser finished.

"Fascinating," Ganondorf mused, rubbing his chin with a finger. "Did this scientist seem particularly interested in our collective history?"

"It's funny, now that you mention it," Bowser recalled, a faraway look in his eye. "He really wanted to hear about those two Operator kids, what were their names? Sael and Elyan?"

Ganondorf frowned. "Why them specifically?"

Bowser shrugged. "Don't know, he didn't say. He seemed pretty excited about what I was telling him. It was kind of scary, seeing the guy so happy."

"Curious," Ganondorf stated. He said no more on the subject, turning back to continue watching the construction of the gate with an air that stated the conversation was over.

Bowser also returned his gaze to the ongoing work, still internally mulling over his strange encounter with the scientist.

* * *

The entire NSA complex was in a profound state of shock, still reeling over the revelations the last transmission from Fort Taylor had provided. The command center was slowly coming out of lockdown, the various agents in the room unsealing doors, informing other departments that the crisis had passed, and resuming their normal duties.

Easton was sitting in a chair resting up against the wall, staring at the floor. "They tricked us," he murmured. "One of the most advanced and professional security agencies in the world, and they fooled us completely."

"You couldn't have known," Mayberry offered from next to him. "No one would have expected them to do something like this."

"Which is what makes it a perfect tactical maneuver!" Easton snapped, glaring up at him. "They're getting away with the most outrageous of plans simply because they're so outrageous no one expects them to work. The terrorists are taking refuge in the sheer audacity of their plans."

"Excuse me, sir?" an agent interrupted, offering an unmarked file to Easton. "I was told to give you this."

Easton took the file, opening it up and leafing through the papers inside. He looked up at the agent. "What is this?"

"Information we've compiled on a possible link to the Smashers," the agent replied. "I was on my way to deliver it when we went into lockdown."

Easton resumed his inspection of the papers, pulling out a picture of a blond woman stepping out of a car. "Who is that?"

"Alicia Peri, sir," said the agent. "She's a records officer in a local civil court. We believe she's connected to the Smashers."

Easton frowned. "How so?"

"She's been seen at the site of several of the attacks," the agent explained. "Multiple witnesses reported seeing a blond woman wearing glasses near the Smashers. In one instance, she appears to have even helped them escape the scene."

"Hang on, did you say her last name was Peri?" Mayberry cut in.

"Yes, why?" the agent asked.

"You remember the accident that happened three years ago, right? Two teenagers went into a coma due to exposure to a prototype version of Dr. Devlin's gate? One of them was named Jeremy Peri." Mayberry paused, remembering something else. "Come to think of it, I think he was blond too."

"Could they be related?" Easton asked the agent.

"It's possible," the agent admitted. "I'll have to check, though."

"So this woman has possible ties to both Project R.E.D. and the Smashers," Easton stated, his mind working fast. "She could tell us what we need to know."

"Highly likely, sir," the agent chimed in.

Easton stood up. "Find this woman and bring her in for questioning. If she has any information we can use, report it back to me immediately. This is of utmost importance."

"Yes sir!" the agent responded, throwing a salute and heading away.

"I'm going with him," Mayberry announced, following the agent out of the room. "Whatever this woman knows could be crucial to my case."

Easton briefly watched them go before turning and resuming his duties, issuing orders to the agents and looking over reports from Fort Taylor.

* * *

"Hey, Jer," Alicia said. "Why don't you take Sael out for a walk? She'd probably like that park I showed you a couple of weeks ago."

Elyan looked up from talking softly with Sael, who was snuggled up close to him. "Huh? Oh, yeah, definitely. Want to go for a walk, Sael? There's some beautiful gardens."

Sael sat up from where she was leaning against his shoulder. "Sure," she said. The two of them got up and headed for the door, Elyan putting an arm around Sael, and Sael moving to his side once more.

"Be back in an hour," Elyan said, beaming at Alicia. Then he closed the door behind them.

There was no sound in the room for a moment but the TV. Then Samus laughed, from where she sat playing checkers with Alicia. "Thank goodness," she said wholeheartedly.

Link looked over, grinning at Samus' unexpected statement. "What?"

"Them," Samus said. "I don't begrudge them a little happiness, and they make an adorable couple, but it was driving me crazy! If Ike and I ever act like that, promise me you'll hit me with something."

Link laughed. "Act like what?" He hadn't seemed to notice.

Samus snorted. "All that cuddling. You and Zelda are pretty bad, but at least you _try_ to find a spot where no one can see you."

"Hey," Link protested. "We're _married_. We're allowed. And give them a break. They haven't seen each other in how long? They finally have a time of peace and quiet together. Last time they were together I wouldn't be surprised if neither really knew what 'cuddle' meant. Didn't seem like something IO would have taught them."

Alicia chatted idly, steering the conversation away from love to try and keep the sadness away, the sadness she saw in the eyes of all three Smashers and felt in her own heart.

There was a knock at the door after a while. "Huh?" Alicia got to her feet. "Someone at the door? I'll get it. You three stay here."

_If it's her parents I'll have to call Jer and get him to bring her back, _Alicia thought as she headed for the door. It wasn't. A small group of people in unfamiliar uniforms stood at her door, along with a dark-haired man with grey-blue eyes. Alicia jumped before regaining her composure.

"Hello," she said, smiling at the dark-haired man. He had an expression on his face that made her feel more comfortable addressing him than the blank-featured, uniformed agents. "Can I help you?"

"Alicia Peri?" he asked, holding out a hand.

"Yes, I'm Alicia," she said, shaking it. "Can I help you?"

"We're with the NSA," one of the uniformed men said. "We need to ask you some questions."

_Uh oh... _Alicia thought, masking her face with restrained confusion. _What have they found out? I have to cooperate or they'll be even more suspicious..._ "Of course," she said politely. "What do you need to know?"

Mayberry looked apologetic. "Sorry, Ms. Peri, but the information we're dealing with is a bit more delicate than that. Could you please come with us?"

Alicia blinked. "Oh... sure. Give me a second. My brother's out with his... girlfriend, so I have to write them a note so they don't worry when they get back. And it's Alicia - I hate my last name." She turned around and walked into the kitchen before they could protest. Grabbing a pen and a pad of paper, she scribbled a quick note.

_Jer,_

_Gone with NSA for questioning. Be back as soon as I can._

_Love, Alicia._

Samus looked up at her from in the family room, and Alicia shook her head slightly, putting a finger to her lips. She turned around and walked back to the door, picking up her purse and donning her glasses. She turned back to the people at the door.

"Alright, I'll come with you. Will I be back in time for dinner?" she asked, again addressing Mayberry. He appeared to comprehend why the expressionless agents would make her nervous, and seemed happy to talk for them.

"We'll do our best," Mayberry said, smiling a little.

In the distance, she saw Sael and Jeremy, walking with their arms around each other. Alicia quickly turned away.

"Something the matter?" Mayberry asked, looking over. "Who's that?"

"My twin brother," Alicia said, forcing herself to look back as if nothing was wrong. "Hi, Jeremy."

Elyan laughed softly at Sael's curious question. "Beautiful, huh? No, they have gardeners to keep those gardens that perfect," he said softly into her ear, holding her close. Sael smiled.

Suddenly, he heard Jeremy make a cry of alarm in his mind. Looking up, he saw Alicia walking next to a dark-haired man, with several uniformed people walking behind them. Alicia seemed nervous.

_Sis! _Jeremy shoved his way to the front for the first time since Sael had returned, releasing Sael and running towards Alicia. "Leesh, what the hell is going on?"

One of the uniformed men stepped between him and his sister, a stern look on his face. Jeremy shoved at him, trying to move him out of the way. Another man stepped forward, joining his colleague in his attempt to restrain Jeremy.

"Stay back, son," one of them cautioned. "We don't want you to get hurt."

"Calm down... Jeremy, I take it? We're not hurting your sister," the dark haired man said soothingly, moving towards Jeremy.

"Then why can't I go near her?" Jeremy shouted, shoving at the dark haired man. The two uniformed men took hold of his shoulders and slowly pushed him away from the dark haired man. Jeremy kicked out at them, writhing and wriggling in their grips as he attempted to get free.

_Calm down! _Elyan shouted, trying to take control and stop his out-of-control counterpart. Unfortunately, Jeremy's hold was proving to be unbreakable, his worry for his twin giving him the mental strength to completely shut Elyan out.

_Damn it, Jeremy, control your temper! _Elyan raged. _You're putting Alicia and Sael in danger!_

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Sael cried, running at the one holding Jeremy and pulling at Jeremy's arm. She was drawn into the fray as well, the agents now trying to subdue her as well as Jeremy.

"Leave them alone!" a new voice shouted. A blade came down, narrowly missing Jeremy's shoulder and separating him from where he was wrestling with an agent. Link stood between them, sword at the ready.

Samus charged up the sidewalk towards them, grabbing Sael's shoulders and yanked her backwards out of the battle. She shoved her back behind Mario, who was moving towards Alicia.

Before he could reach her, an agent stepped up to her and stuck a small metal device into her arm. Alicia gasped in pain and dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Alicia!" Jeremy rolled under Link's sword, past the agents, and tried to lift up his limp twin sister. "What the hell did you do to her, you-"

"Elyan!" Sael ran towards him, but was intercepted by another agent with the same device. She fell to the ground, legs twitching.

Elyan forced his way past Jeremy's hold on their mind, dark fury strengthening him. Setting Alicia down, he attacked the man who had used the device on Sael. _They hurt her,_ he seethed. _I won't let them get away with this!_

"Elyan!" Link shouted, moving towards the furious teen. He paused a moment, a faint glow of his own magic surrounding where yet another agent's device was piercing the skin of his arm. "Ow..." he said numbly, moving a hand towards it. The glow quickly faded, and Link slumped to the ground.

"His magic delayed whatever that thing does," Samus said to herself, "But we're still vulnerable. Mario!" She turned around, but Mario was already unconscious. Another agent moved toward Samus, brandishing his device. "What a time not to have my suit," she said, trying to roll away from him. A moment later she was caught as well, toppling over and hitting the ground with a thud.

An agent caught Elyan in the arm with his device, sending a burst of pain throughout his body. He tried to reach for Sael, but was unconscious before he could do anything but collapse to the ground beside her.

Mayberry stared down at the stunned six. "You didn't have to do that," he said in a voice that was almost a growl.

"We had to," the leader of the agents said. "They're armed and dangerous. Besides, it's not like we killed them." He waved his taser at Mayberry.

"We could have at least tried to talk to them," Mayberry protested. "Her brother panicked, he thought we were hurting Alicia, if we'd showed him we weren't here to hurt them..."

"We wouldn't have found these three if we'd just sat down and talked, for one thing," the man said, motioning to Samus, Link and Mario. "Besides, these are dangerous fugitives. We only did our duty. C'mon," he called to the others. "Let's get them in the van."

"We have no cause to take them all," Mayberry said hotly.

"They attacked federal agents," the leader said. "That's cause for arrest."

"How did he do that thing that he did?" one of the younger ones asked, pointing to Link. "His arm went all... glowy."

"Forget it, Mark," another agent said, picking up Sael. "These guys are weird, plain and simple. Let's just go."

Mayberry sighed. _Idiots__. We could have stopped this without knocking them all out. How they'll hate us, and with good reason. How can we expect their cooperation when we did something like this to them?_ Something shiny caught his eye. He looked at the ground, seeing Alicia's glasses lying there like some discarded piece of trash. He reached down to pick up Alicia's glasses, slipping them into his pocket before following the agents.

A cry from across the street caught their attention. A middle-aged woman and a young, dark-haired man had stopped in mid-stride down the sidewalk, staring horror-struck at the spectacle before them.

Mayberry cursed. _Oh, damn. Witnesses. That's _all _we need._

"Jess!" The woman cried out, running at the agent carrying Sael. "What are you doing to my daughter?"

"Relax, ma'am, she's just unconscious," an agent said. "But I must ask you to stand back."

"Alicia!" The young man moved to the one carrying Alicia, reaching out a hand and touched her cheek for a moment. He looked around at the agents. "What happened here?"

"And who are you, sir?" one of the agents asked.

"My name's Judge David Jenison. This woman works at the records department of my court," the young man explained hurriedly. "Is she in trouble?"

"Alicia was being taken for questioning," one of the agents said. "Her brother attacked us."

"So you knocked them all out?" Jenison asked disbelievingly. "What kind of a-" He stopped and reconsidered finishing that statement. "Will she be alright?" he asked, looking worriedly at Alicia.

"She'll be fine," the man carrying her said. "She's just unconscious, and once she wakes up we'll need to ask her some questions."

Jenison looked down again for a minute before he reluctantly moved back.

The woman stepped between the man holding Sael and the van. "You give me my daughter back this instant! The judge promised me I'd be able to talk to her now, and I won't have you taking her away!" she continued to shout, enraged.

"Please, ma'am," Mayberry took a hold of her arm, attempting to move her aside. "She's not in any danger. We're with the NSA; I can promise you that no one will hurt her. You need to get out of the way."

She looked worriedly at him. "Please... look after her. She has amnesia, and she's confused and upset..." She let Mayberry move her aside, then ran back to her husband, who was still watching from across the street.

Jenison looked at the heartbroken couple. "I'm sorry," he said. "Alicia told me Jessica would be here for you to talk to her, but it seems unforeseen circumstances have come up. We can't interfere." He looked at the agents. "Will you please ask Alicia to contact me when she's able?"

Mayberry nodded.

The three civilians turned and left the scene, still distraught over what they had just witnessed.

* * *

Mayberry was silent on the long car ride back, arms folded and perpetually glancing at the slumped forms of the Smashers, Sael, Elyan, and Alicia in the back of the van.

The van braked to a stop in front of the concealed entrance to NSA headquarters, jolting Mayberry out of his reverie. Climbing out of the van, he helped the other agents gingerly carry the unconscious six inside the building. Each of them was carefully laid on a bed inside a holding cell, separated from each other by thick metal dividers.

Setting down Alicia onto her cell's bed, Mayberry stepped back and stared at her prone figure, a maelstrom of conflicting emotions evident on his face.

Easton came up behind him. "Well done, Sam," he congratulated Mayberry, "You accomplished far more than I expected. Managing to capture three of the fugitives at once…you should feel real proud of yourself."

Mayberry remained silent, not even turning to look at him.

Easton sighed. "Look, Sam, I know you feel that we shouldn't be locking them up. Believe me, I feel the same way. We just can't risk them bolting and disappearing again. They might have vital information on what the other three are planning and how to stop them. We can't miss this chance, Sam."

Mayberry continued not to respond.

Easton sighed again, shaking his head as he turned away and began to head back to the main room of the base.

"Can I talk to them first?" Mayberry blurted out without thinking.

Easton turned back to look at him, regarding him with a slightly puzzled look.

Mayberry shifted in place and avoided his gaze, reluctant to explain any further. "The woman…Alicia Peri. She seemed more comfortable talking to me than the other agents. I might be able to get more out of them than another interrogator would."

"Very well," Easton replied with a nod. "You'll be notified as soon as they wake up."

He walked away, leaving Mayberry to his survey of the cells and his own bitter, uncertain thoughts.

* * *

"Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is in prison."

-Henry David Thoreau

* * *

U92: Be honest. Did anyone expect Devlin to show up at all after Chapter Two?

I really like writing for Devlin. The guy's constantly stuck in outraged mad scientist mode. It's awesome.

Geez, Bowser gets off on tangets really easily.

Uh oh! The heroes are all captured and the villains are preparing for their biggest move yet! Things aren't looking good!

Sue2: GASP :O THEY'VE BEEN CAPTURED. But then again, are we surprised after the title? I tried writing Mayberry but I found that using someone else's OC is really fricking hard. Just shows Ultiman's talent, since he's used mine a couple of times and done it excellently. Yay Ultiman! Yay for also getting this chapter up a lot faster! Maybe the trend will continue.

REVIEW!


	19. Call to Arms

U92: So sorry this chapter is also late! More real life stuff getting in the way. You know the drill.

The line between exactly which of us wrote what grows rather blurred in this chapter. See if you can still tell the difference.

Sue2: Sorry - most of the delay was me going on vacation. I had fun, in case anybody cares. But we're back now, with a new chapter that's leading up to fight scenes of DOOM. Enjoy!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Eighteen-

_Call to Arms_

* * *

Alicia was sitting motionless on her bed when Mayberry came into her cell, arms hanging limply at her sides as her eyes bored holes into the floor.

Mayberry slid his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath before speaking. "Hello, Alicia. Do you remember me? My name is Sam Mayberry. I'd like to talk to you."

When Alicia didn't respond, Mayberry plowed on. "Let me start off by saying I'm deeply sorry for what happened to you and the others. It was wrong for you to be knocked out and brought here. I can promise you that if you talk to me for a little while, you and your friends will be released. Do you understand?"

Alicia spoke for the first time, still not looking at him. "You're wasting your time talking to me; I barely know any more than you do. If you really want answers, ask the others. They might be able to tell you what you want to know."

"Thank you very much," Mayberry replied, inclining his head towards her and making a hasty exit.

* * *

'_The others have the answers', my foot!_ Mayberry thought furiously half an hour later. His meetings - if they could be called that – with the rest of the six had been even less productive than his meeting with Alicia, if such a thing was possible. Jessica and Jeremy had refused to answer any questions, instead loudly demanding to see each other and immediately clamming up when they were told it wasn't possible. The Smashers were downright unhelpful, remaining completely silent the whole time as well as staring at a wall, determinedly avoiding looking at him, and glaring at him respectively. Mayberry couldn't remember the last time he'd come out of a meeting with prisoners having learned absolutely nothing. He could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on.

"Don't worry about it," Easton advised him. "They'll talk soon enough. Once the isolation gets to them, we won't be able to shut them up."

_Wonderful, _Mayberry thought sarcastically, internally rolling his eyes. _Not only are we holding people who may or may not have actually done anything wrong, we're also torturing them by separating them from each other indefinitely. What's next, waterboarding? _

He remained at the headquarters for the rest of the day, waiting for the six to start talking. Predictably, they stayed quiet.

* * *

Upon arrival at the base on the second day, Mayberry noticed that Jessica appeared to be curled up in her bed, rocking back and forth and shivering. A guard remarked to him that she had awoken in the middle of the night from a nightmare, screaming about someone or something called "IO". She apparently hadn't been able to sleep since. Mayberry jotted this down as a possible indication of childhood trauma and made a note to investigate this later.

He also noted how Jeremy was pressed up against the side of his cell, trying to impart words of comfort through the metal walls. Mayberry was touched by this display of affection, and decided not to tell the boy the walls were soundproof.

Easton was more harried than ever, having received a report that the Petrelli Institute had been broken into and that spare materials used in making Devlin's gate had been stolen. "Now we know what they were creating a distraction for," he said tersely. "They're making their own gate."

Mayberry peered over at the document explaining the details of the break-in. "Why are they doing this, exactly?" he wondered. "Are they trying to access the dark matter Devlin was looking for?"

Easton shrugged helplessly. "Hell if I know. Whatever the reason, it must be important for all the trouble they went to get it."

Mayberry nodded, still looking at the report. _Strange,_ he mused. _Everything in this case always seems to come back to Project R.E.D. – and the Smashers._

* * *

The third day of confinement at the base began with another report given to Easton, this time from the L.A.P.D. There had been a string of disappearances over the past couple days, mostly occurring around bars. The victims were all male, ages varying from 21 to 45, and all of them were involved with motorcycle clubs.

_Just like the men I saw inside Ganondorf's base,_ Mayberry realized with a start.

He related his suspicions to Easton, who frowned thoughtfully. "So Ganondorf is building up an army. Very well, then. I'll have the local news stations post warnings to stay indoors as much as possible until the crisis is over."

The Smashers were visibly taken aback by this news, but still refused to answer any questions.

That night, Mayberry flipped through the evening news programs on all the major channels, anxious for any new developments. Each reporter faithfully delivered Easton's warning to stay indoors – before going on to a story on how seven more men had vanished.

A cold feeling of dread grew in Mayberry's stomach.

* * *

Despite the best efforts of both the NSA and local law enforcement, the disappearances continued right up into the fourth day. Easton was looking wilder and more untamed than ever. His jacket was gone and his tie was disheveled, his hair was a limp mess and a prominent five-day stubble was visible on his face. Mayberry was feeling almost sorry for his boss by now.

Almost.

The Smashers were getting noticeably antsy, four days of isolation taking their toll on them. Jeremy in particular seemed to be suffering the most, muttering to himself when he thought no one was looking and frequently addressing someone named "Elyan". Mayberry marked this down as a possible sign of dementia.

He dearly wished all of them would just crack and be allowed to go home. He wasn't sure how much more of this he'd be able to stand.

* * *

_This is insane,_ Alicia thought. _Four days of just sitting in here. Mayberry promised we would be able to go home once his boss got what he needed - I guess nobody's been talking._ She imagined the others, sitting alone in their little cells, and gave a little shiver of unhappiness. _What's so bad about telling what they know?_ She thought that over.

_There could be a lot wrong with that,_ she realized. _If Link, Samus and Mario shared where they came from and the abilities they had, there could be a lot of problems._ _Humans want what they don't have, and Samus, Link and Mario have a lot that we don't have. Magic, for one thing. And if Sael and Jeremy shared what had happened to them, they could be seen as crazy, or worse. Perhaps that's why they're afraid of talking to Mayberry... it could be dangerous for them._

She tugged on the bottom of her shirt as she thought. _If talking would be so dangerous to them, I'd better keep what I know to myself. They've been trying so hard, doing so much. I don't want to get them into trouble._ Still, she couldn't help but wonder what Ganondorf was up to while they all sat in cells.

* * *

Sael pulled the blanket closer around herself, seeking safety in its warmth from the nightmares that had returned with a vengeance. _IO is dead, why am I still so afraid? I killed her, but still she haunts my dreams. Why can't I just get over it and let it go? _

A memory floated up into the forefront of her mind. _She escaped Jessica once. We all thought IO was really dead the first time. She might have escaped again... or maybe I'm just being a fearful little girl._

She decided then and there to stop thinking about the nightmare. Her thoughts drifted to the two worlds she had lived in. _The Smashers' world was dangerous and scary... Elyan and I had enemies to fight and there was a lot of cause to fear for your life. But it was simpler for me. I'd rather fight for my life against someone I can defeat with a clear conscience, rather than someone who's doing it because they believe they're doing the right thing for me. It's confusing and full of tangled emotions and heartache. Just wanting to be with Elyan, just wanting to be able to be myself, seems a sin as bad as hurting someone in this world. _

_In the other world, I was opposed by people because I was trying to do something that damaged them. But now I'm opposed and I don't even know why._ She sighed. _Mr. Stanton says it's a bad idea to want to go back to the other world. But I just want to go home._ She hardened her resolve. _If I go back, everything will be back to the way it was. I'll wander the world with Elyan and not have to deal with people that I hurt without knowing how, people who try to control me, and people who want to take me away from him. Then it will be okay. I just have to leave this world behind. But how can I do that?_

* * *

Elyan's voice sounded in Jeremy's mind. _Jeremy, you have to stop letting your temper get away from you. You jumped to conclusions and that's what got us here. Had you not attacked them outright, taking the time to find out whether Alicia was with them of her own accord or not and what they were planning to do, we wouldn't be here._

_I was right, though,_ Jeremy shot back. _See what they did to us? They were going to hurt Alicia. Now at least-_

_You don't know that, _Elyan cut him off. _You don't know that they were planning to hurt Alicia. When force is used, people resort to force in return. Has it crossed your mind that they might have been merely protecting themselves from you? But you rushed in and attacked. Sael helped you because neither of us will ever leave the other to fight a battle alone. She was hurt! Because of your idiocy, Sael and Alicia were both hurt, along with Link and Samus and Mario! How do you think they're going to get home now? How do you think they're going to fight these monsters now? They blew their cover to protect us, who wouldn't have needed protecting if it wasn't for you! You have to control your temper, or you will leave yourself with no allies at all, surrounded by enemies. How will you protect your sister then?_

The extent of Elyan's anger showed clearly, despite his attempts to control it. The memory of Sael's scream, sounding in the middle of the night two nights ago, filled with terror, rang through Elyan and into Jeremy's mind. _I could have comforted her had we not been in these cells, but they don't trust you and they don't know we're two separate people. Our friends are all suffering, and it's your fault. You are an idiot._

Jeremy realized this outburst was sparked because of Elyan's desperate desire to comfort Sael, but truth rang in it all the same. He hung his head. _I'm sorry._ He understood Elyan's anger - the same anger had provoked him to attack the uniformed people with Alicia.

He felt Elyan relax slightly. _Me too. I didn't mean to shout at you like that. I feel the same way for Sael - whenever she's afraid, I want to find whatever it is that frightens her and destroy it. But you have to control yourself better._

Jeremy nodded. _Yeah. I'll do my best._

* * *

Mario tossed and turned in the grip of his dreams.

_He was in the cell, but looking out on Peach's castle. She sat in a flowerbed, playing with a daisy in one hand. Bowser sat nearby, and the two talked lightly, although he couldn't hear what they were saying. The door opened and he ran to where Peach sat. She jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him, but flinched back as if burned a moment later. Bowser moved to try and protect her, getting in the way, and a moment later he and Mario fought. Bowser was driven away, and Mario sat in the grass with Peach._

_Now Bowser was in a barred cell. The door and windows were covered with mirrors, reflecting every fight he and Mario had ever fought, reflecting every bad thing Bowser had done. Bowser was trying to get out, but the reflections kept him inside the cell, a prisoner of the past._

_Time whizzed by for the Bowser in the cell, and he grew lonelier and sadder and angrier. He slashed at the door, shouting angry words and exclamations. Eventually the desire to protect Peach disappeared from the things he shouted, and she became a prize in his words. Peach, standing outside the cell with Mario at her side, suddenly began to turn into a trophy._

Mario sat up, breathing hard. _Prisoners of the past,_ he thought. Loneliness did a lot to people, even when it was self-inflicted. Especially when it was self-inflicted trying to do the right thing.

_That's a strange dream, _Mario thought, banishing the sudden pity he felt. _Why am I seeing Bowser in that light now, when they're-a trying to kill us?_

* * *

Link slipped his hand into the sweater he had been wearing, touching the glass of the mirror which had not been broken or, surprisingly enough, located by his captors. He felt a warmth glow in his fingers that rang of Zelda's magic.

He pulled a fold of the sweater away, revealing the mirror's surface. "Zel?" he whispered.

Zelda's face appeared, looking anxious. "Link! Where are you? I tried to reach you before, but you couldn't hear me."

"We were captured. Some people came to question Alicia, and her brother attacked them because he thought they were going to harm her. We had to intervene before one of them was seriously hurt. We tried to fight them but they knocked us all out, and they keep asking us questions about Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario. Zel, the three of them are trying to kill us now. It's become war."

Zelda sighed, closing her eyes. "Always forced against each other. Why can't the past stay in the past? It wasn't even our past! Why do we have to fight?" She opened her eyes again and looked at Link. "We'll be able to get you out of there in a few days. ROB is almost finished with a portable device that can create a dimensional portal like the gate does. We can come and find you!"

Link shook his head. "We brought them here, we'll take them with us again. This world has no idea what they're dealing with in Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario. We can't leave them here to destroy it."

Zelda nodded slowly. "Link... as soon as you get free, go and find them. If you can keep them in one place we can force them back with the portal, and deal with them on our own world."

Link nodded. "I will. As soon as possible." He smiled softly. "I love you, Zel."

"Love you too. Don't you dare die on me..." Zelda's face faded from the mirror.

Link briefly caressed the mirror's surface with one finger before pulling his shirt over it once more.

* * *

In the cell next to Alicia's, Samus was also thinking about the risks of talking. _This is insane. While we're sitting here, Ganondorf, Bowser and Wario are out there building an army! Somebody needs to fight them, and if we're stuck in here, it needs to be someone who knows what they're dealing with._ Mario and Link would agree with her, she was sure. And if not, they would blame her, but she had to do something. People were dying out there. As long as they were trapped, they had no chance whatsoever of stopping Bowser, Wario and Ganondorf, or ever getting home.

Samus got to her feet. "Hey!" she called out. "I'm ready to talk."

Mayberry came in almost immediately, looking both anxious and eager. "Yes?"

"I'll tell you what you want to know," Samus said. "Somebody has to be able to fight the other three of us, and if nobody knows anything about them, they'll be able to take what they want easily."

"I'm glad you've seen reason," Mayberry said with visible signs of relief, pulling a small tape recorder from his pocket and pressing a button. "Can you start by telling me exactly who you are?"

Samus nodded. "My name is Samus Aran. The other two are Link and Mario. I don't know if they have surnames, and it doesn't really matter. The other three are Ganondorf, Wario, and Bowser. We're... well, we're what we call 'trophies'... artificial beings made as copies of existing people from other universes. The real Samus Aran, as well as the real Link and the real Mario, are people who did something to make themselves renowned as heroes. Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario are similarly renowned as villains. All of us were created by two very powerful beings to fight each other in an arena for their entertainment."

Mayberry blinked in confusion, attempting vainly to follow her explanation. "Artificial beings?"

Samus nodded. "We were created in the images of notable heroes or villains. We have some of their memories and all of their abilities."

Mayberry paused to digest this. "Why did you come to Earth?"

"Our world has pocket dimensions, places you can only reach by going through the right portal. We wanted to be able to instantly transport ourselves to those places, so I, along with a couple of others, began to work on a machine that would transport us to other universes. I was demonstrating the function of our gate to some others when it collided with another signal on the exact same frequency as ours."

"Devlin's gate," Mayberry said.

"Yes. The signals got... tangled up, in a way, creating a tunnel from our world to yours. My friend got a little too close and began to be sucked inside. In the confusion of trying to keep her out of the gate, Link, Mario, Bowser, Ganondorf, Wario, and myself were sucked in. We got separated from Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario while trying to escape from the facility, and we've been fighting them ever since."

"Why are they trying to kill you?"

Samus sighed. "Force of habit, I guess. The real counterparts of Mario and Bowser are mortal enemies, as well as Link and Ganondorf... that enmity carried over to us, because we have their memories. Ganondorf and Bowser are trying to rule this world, because in our own they're outnumbered by people like us who won't let them rule that one. Wario... I think he's just in it for the possibility of treasure. He's ruled by greed alone."

"How did Alicia, Jessica and Jeremy get involved in this?" Mayberry asked.

"Jessica and Jeremy... the two of them were in our world for a time, artificial beings made by our creators using existing minds. When our creators were killed, they disappeared... back to this world, I suppose. Alicia found us and offered us food and shelter if we would try to help Jeremy regain his memories of his time on Earth, and after a while, Jessica found us while searching for Jeremy. We've been trying to ward off the monsters the villains send as well as hiding from those searching for us, using Alicia's house as a sanctuary. We've been watching for news of Ganondorf's attacks, then trying to get to the scene and kill the attacking monster before it hurts anyone."

Mayberry looked down at her introspectively. "What were you planning on doing next?"

"We want to find and defeat Ganondorf, Bowser and Wario, stop whatever plot they're putting in motion, and then we want to find a way home. Coming here in the first place was a complete accident. We mean no harm whatsoever to your planet, not us nor the people who we're trying to return to."

"Thank you very much for telling me this," Mayberry said, sliding the tape recorder back into his pocket and moving towards the door.

"Will we be released?" Samus asked.

"Soon," Mayberry promised, inwardly despising how empty his words sounded.

* * *

The scene inside the detention center was more akin to a construction site or a movie set than an abandoned jail. The main hall was swarming with men, either contributing to the building of the now over half-finished gate or gamely guarding the perimeter. A certain cluster of the men were carrying supplies from place to place, their faces straining with the exertion. Some had even taken minor leadership roles, delegating duties and issuing directions to the laborers.

"It's almost finished," Bowser said with a note of surprise, leaning over a railing on the second floor and watching the ongoing work. "I never would have thought it would be so easy."

Standing next to him, Ganondorf smiled. "Never doubt the power of mass slave labor, my friend. A sufficiently terrified army can move mountains, if one would desire to do so."

Wario gave a derisive chuckle on Ganondorf's other side. "An dis won't even be de end of it. Soon enough, we'll 'ave dis whole world runnin' scared."

"Excuse me, sir?" a voice behind them inquired.

The trio turned away from the spectacle down below to examine a visibly nervous biker clutching a carefully wrapped bundle of cloth. "We finished the special job you gave us, sir. We made it exactly the way you instructed us to."

"Good, good," Ganondorf murmured, accepting the bundle and beginning to unravel it. "You and your group may rest before returning to work on the gate."

"Thank you, sir!" the man replied relievedly, turning and hastily retreating down the corridor.

Bowser leaned over Ganondorf's shoulder, his eyes focused on the bundle. "What's this supposed to be?"

"A safeguard," Ganondorf replied. "Think of it as a precaution of sorts. In the highly unlikely chance that the Smashers penetrate our defences and make it inside, we will have one last weapon waiting for them."

"Cool," Wario commented. "So what is it, exactly?"

Ganondorf reached inside the bundle and pulled out a strange-looking rifle. It was mostly a dull gray, with several areas painted jet-black. The barrel was wide and circular, taking up over half of the gun. A small targeting scope rested on top of the barrel, with several notches going down both sides of the gun for optional adjustment. There seemed to be no visible spot for putting in ammunition, which might explain why the gun was so light.

"This, my friends," Ganondorf announced, "is the latest advancement in firearm weaponry. Developed using material from both this world and my own, it is capable of a power that can shatter cities and render all other weapons obsolete. Powered solely by my magic, it is a devastating force for the most potent form of destruction."

His right hand softly glowed with magical energy, the purple sparks traveling upward and sinking into the hilt of the weapon. The gun gained a faint violet halo, almost seeming to come alive in his hands. "This is the _Super Scope Seven._"

* * *

"_Will we be released?"_

"_Soon."_

Mayberry paused the recording, looking across the table at Easton. "Your thoughts?"

Easton made a feeble sound halfway between a groan and a laugh. "Sam, I honestly don't know what to think anymore. The things I've seen the past few weeks...the things I've heard...I just don't know. I'm completely out of my depth. I barely understand what's going on here. Sam, I...I don't know what to do."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand, closing his eyes in exhaustion. Mayberry waited a moment before replying. "Well, you _could_ leave it to the people who know how to deal with all this."

Easton opened his eyes, looking questioningly at Mayberry. "Who?"

"The Smashers, obviously," Mayberry stated. "If we let them go, they can take care of Ganondorf and the others. They know how to deal with men like him. We could have this whole thing resolved in less than a day."

Easton leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling and thinking it over. "I suppose we really don't have anything to charge them with," he admitted, "so we can't keep them here much longer anyway."

_We shouldn't have captured them in the first place,_ thought Mayberry, knowing better than to say something like that aloud.

Easton pushed back his chair, standing up. "Do you have the keys to the cells?"

Mayberry nodded, pulling a metal ring with several keys attached to it from his pocket.

"Good," Easton said crisply. "Let's go let them out."

The two of them went down the line of cells, unlocking them one by one and leaving the doors open behind them. Once they finished, they turned back to appraise the now freed prisoners.

Jessica had run straight for Jeremy, wrapping her arms around him in the sort of bone-crushing embrace normally given to people on their deathbed. Jeremy seemed unaffected by the constricting hug, calmly murmuring comforting words into Jessica's ear while stroking her hair tenderly. Alicia was hanging back behind them, watching the two of them with a sad, wistful look on her face. The Smashers were standing over to the side in a tight-knit little group, watching Mayberry and Easton with wary expressions.

Mayberry cleared his throat. "Okay, if I could have your attention, please?"

Jessica and Jeremy reluctantly broke apart, swivelling around to face him while still holding hands. Alicia reluctantly stepped up next to them, keeping a definite amount of space between her and Jeremy. The Smashers drifted over next to the others, still eyeing Mayberry as though he was about to explode.

"We wish to apologize for our treatment of you these past few days," Mayberry stated loudly and clearly. "We hope you will not bear any ill will towards us and instead assist us in stopping Ganondorf and bringing order back to this city."

"You want _us_ to help _you_?" Samus asked skeptically.

"Not you helping us as much as you leading and us helping out when we can," Mayberry clarified. "We believe your prior experience in dealing with these men will help us end this conflict quickly and with minimal bloodshed."

"You're-a just going to-a let us go, just like-a that?" Mario asked, folding his arms and frowning.

"We'll need our equipment before we can face them," Link added.

"That can be provided," Mayberry assured him. "Do we have your promise that you'll help us take back the city?"

After a moment's silent deliberation, the Smashers reluctantly nodded.

"We can help out too!" Jessica cut in eagerly. "I can use a baseball bat or something like that, and Elyan has a curtain rod that he beats up monsters with!"

_Elyan?_ Mayberry wondered. Shaking his head, he chose to put that odd discrepancy aside and directly addressed Jessica. "Are you sure you want to do this? This is going to be really dangerous."

Jessica's eyes were bright with determination. "We want to help!" Jeremy nodded beside her.

"Well, it's your choice, I suppose," Mayberry shrugged. He looked over at Alicia. "What about you? Do you want to be a part of this too?"

Alicia shook her head. "I'm not that much good in a fight," she admitted. "I think I'll just wait here and keep myself out of the way."

"That's fine," assured Mayberry. "You can even stay in the control room if you like. You'll be kept updated on any and all developments there as they happen." He glanced back at Easton. "Is that everything?"

"Yes," Easton confirmed. "I'll send some men over to Miss Peri's house to retrieve your supplies. It should take just a little over an hour."

"That's fine," said Link. "We need at least that long to come up with a plan of attack. If you'll excuse us-" He motioned for the others to gather around him. A low murmur of conversation began among the five of them.

Satisfied, Easton went off into another room, looking for any available men. Alicia followed him, evidently eager to put the isolation cells behind her.

Mayberry was left standing by himself in the middle of the room, feeling a bit like an idiot. He resignedly strode into an open cell and sat down on the cot, pulling his handguns from their holsters and cleaning them with a limp rag from his jacket pocket.

_At least this gives me something to do while we wait,_ he thought resignedly.

* * *

"Something's wrong," Bowser said, frowning. "The noise has stopped."

Ganondorf frowned, appearing by his side in an instant and leaning over the railing as he stared down at the gate. The men were no longer working, merely milling about the room and chatting amicably to each other, their tools lying forgotten on the ground. A few had even started smoking, a lighter being passed from hand to hand.

In a sudden, abrupt move, Ganondorf turned on his heel and stalked towards the stairs, his eyes smoldering. Bowser and Wario nervously followed, keeping a safe distance between them and the angered magician.

"What EXACTLY is going on here?" Ganondorf thundered upon reaching the first floor.

The men all looked extremely nervous. "Well, uh, sir..." one of them stammered. "...we're, uh, done with the gate."

Ganondorf blinked in surprise, his eyes widening. "Let me see it."

The bikers parted like the Red Sea, allowing the trio of villains to come closer and examine their completed project. The actual gate of the machine was dark silver in color, in a shape somewhere between a circle and an oval. The bottom half of the loop was connected to a vaguely rectangular mass of electronics directly below it, with a massive cable snaking out from behind the machine. The gate shone in the light, its new silver finish gleaming.

"Magnificent," Ganondorf breathed. He looked back at the mass of bikers. "You have all served me extremely well. We are now entire days ahead of our projected schedule. I humbly thank you all."

"Does this mean we get to go home now?" one of the men called out.

"Not quite yet, I am afraid," Ganondorf said sadly. "There are still several tasks in which your assistance is necessary. Namely, the question of providing a source of power for this gate." He indicated the enormous unconnected cable. "Seeing as there are no large energy deposits within the confines of this facility, we will be forced to use an outside power supply to activate the machine. The shield must be lowered in order for us to receive power from the outside world; therefore, we shall be vulnerable to attack during this time. Most of you shall need to defend this facility with your very lives.

"Are you prepared to make that sacrifice?" Ganondorf asked, his eyes piercing.

"Well...it doesn't really matter if we're prepared or not, does it?" another biker asked. "You're going to send us out there anyway, aren't you?"

Ganondorf sighed. "Yes, that may be true, but it would be more _beneficial_ to the current state of our morale if everyone approached their duties with a feeling of willingness to complete them. In my experience, unenthusiastic defenders are notoriously quick to surrender to the enemy. I wish to avert such an unfortunate occurrence happening at this point in time."

"So don't let anyone get in 'ere – or else!" Wario added menacingly. Ganondorf resisted the urge to facepalm.

"**Thank** you, Wario," Ganondorf said loudly, shooting him a look before turning back to the crowd of bikers. "I will give you a few hours to rest and recuperate. I would advise that you take full advantage of this time. You will all need to be at full strength for the operation."

He turned and headed back up the stairs, Bowser and Wario following him.

Slowly, the crowd of men began to disperse, leaving the pristine gate alone in the room.

* * *

After a little over an hour and a half, the men Easton had sent returned with two crates full of the quintet's personal artifacts, which they unceremoniously dumped on the floor. In the tangled pile were Mario's hat, gloves, shirt and overalls, Link's tunic, hat, shield, sword and quiver, the disassembled pieces of Samus' Power Suit, and several long blunt objects chosen seemingly at random.

The Smashers immediately extracted their individual items and headed off to separate rooms to change. Jeremy and Jessica rooted through the pile of blunt instruments, searching for a favorable weapon. Jeremy quickly located a faded curtain rod, pulling it out and inspecting it with pride before helping Jessica select her own tool. After some deliberation, she finally decided on a plain croquet mallet, testing the feel of it in her hands and swinging it experimentally.

The two of them had just sat down when a hysterical agent rushed into the room. "Sir! Sir! Something's happening on the news!"

Jeremy and Jessica leapt to their feet, instantly alert. Mayberry came out of the open cell, stuffing his guns back into their holsters and looking expectantly at the agent. Easton reappeared on the other side of the room, quickly striding towards the panicked man. "What is it?"

"I-I'm not quite sure, sir," the agent stammered. "The report says that the shield around the detention center has just been taken down."

There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone present in the room. Easton frowned. "Did they say why?"

The agent shook his head. "No one knows. One minute it was there, the next it was gone."

Easton remained silent, evaluating this new development.

"There's more," the agent went on. "Armed men have been pouring out of the facility since the minute the shield disappeared. They've taken up positions around the perimeter of the building."

"What about our men there?" Easton pressed. "What are they doing?"

"So far, it's been a standoff between them and the men from the facility," the agent reported. "Nothing's happened yet, but if anything does, it's going to get ugly fast."

Easton nodded, fully processing this information. "I see. Return to your post."

The agent promptly hurried back out of the room.

"So Ganondorf's making his move?" Mayberry asked, walking up next to Easton.

"It appears so," Easton replied. "This could be our chance."

"Does this mean we get to fight?" Jeremy asked eagerly.

"Given the circumstances, I don't really think we have any time to waste," Easton answered.

A huge grin spread over Jeremy's face as he turned and bounded over to the open doorway. "Mario! Link! Samus! Come on, we're ready to go face Ganondorf!"

The Smashers quickly appeared in the doorway, still finishing up the process of changing into their clothes. Mario was pulling on his gloves and carefully tweaking his hat, Link was adjusting his tunic with one hand and holding his shield and sword in the other, and Samus was carefully screwing on the last few pieces of her Power Suit.

"So soon?" Link asked, brushing hair out of his eyes.

"Ganondorf's acted faster than we predicted," Easton announced. "For whatever reason, he's lowered the shield and made himself vulnerable. We need to strike while we can." He motioned out the door. "All of you can wait outside. I'll have a car ready for you in a couple of minutes."

The Smashers nodded, jogging out the doorway Easton had indicated in slow, purposeful strides. Jessica and Jeremy were right behind them, gripping their weapons tightly and smiling giddily.

Mayberry watched them go, an unidentifiable feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach. "Hey, Easton!" he called out, stopping the NSA director as he was moving to leave. "I'd like to go with them, if you don't mind."

Easton stopped and stared at him. "Why? You don't need to be here anymore. Your assignment is finished. Thanks to you, we managed locate Ganondorf and bring in the three of them." He indicated the shrinking forms of the Smashers continuing down the hallway. "You've done all we asked of you, Sam. You can go home now."

Mayberry gave a small laugh. "A month ago, I would've accepted that offer. Now…I just have to be there with them."

Easton spread his arms in a show of incomprehension. "Why?"

"I'm not exactly sure myself," Mayberry admitted. "Maybe it's guilt over what happened to the Smashers. Maybe it's because I've got something to settle with Ganondorf and his men. Maybe it's because another able pair of hands helping out wouldn't hurt. Maybe I just want to see how it all ends. Whatever the reason, I feel like I should be going along with them. It's just something I have to do."

"Very well, then," Easton conceded. "You're free to go."

Mayberry gave a quick nod of thanks before sprinting after the departing group.

"Godspeed, Sam," Easton murmured.

* * *

"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war."

-Albert Einstein

* * *

U92: And so, the end begins. We're on our way to the final confrontation, people!

I'm rather proud of the Super Scope Seven. It represents my last chance, in-story wise, to introduce a fusion of Earth and the Smash World. Sure, I could fill up ten more chapters with my hybrid ideas, but I think we'd all get bored of that pretty fast. Besides, for a last effort, the SS7 isn't half bad. It's a gun that's powered by magic! What's not to love?

The scene where Mayberry cleans his gun is rather meta. I realized that I didn't know what he should be doing for the hour or so before the alert literally just as I was writing it, resulting in Mayberry's last thought in the scene being a slight break of the fourth wall.

Argh! _Even more_ villain comedy in a scene that I was trying to make serious! What is wrong with me?!

This chapter in particular made it very hard for me to write Sael and Elyan/Jeremy without making them sound like Gem and Gemma from _Power Rangers RPM_. (It's a surprisingly mature show! Don't judge me!)

Sue2: See? Time for some Fight Scenes of Doom!

... In that bit where Sael picks out a croquet mallet... did anyone else immediately think of whack-a-mole? That's a fun mental image. That gun is frightening, and yet somehow awesome! I'm excited for the next chapter. How about you?

REVIEW!


	20. War

U92: Another schedule slip! Hopefully the action in this chapter makes up for it.

Sue2: Well, here we are, late again! But you get a nice fight scene out of it, so there you go. I hope we're good enough to wait for!

* * *

-Chapter Nineteen-

_War_

* * *

Samus checked over bits on the outside of her Power Suit as they stood outside the building that had, until less than two hours ago, been their prison. Link had sheathed his sword, but his hand rested on the handle and he seemed tense. Mario restlessly moved his feet, shifting his stance as he released the pent-up energy from the isolation and readied himself for battle.

Elyan had an arm around Sael and her hand rested on his shoulder. Her other hand gripped the handle of her croquet mallet, balancing it over her own shoulder, and Elyan rested the end of his curtain rod on the ground. The two of them had gone very still when the group had left the building, absorbed in their own thoughts. Sael shook her head abruptly and smiled at Elyan. "It's not like we've never fought before," she said. "We don't have to be scared. Right, Elyan?"

Elyan touched her hair. "Right." Without warning, he kissed her quickly and smiled back, the worry in his face gone. "For luck."

"This is gonna be really dangerous, right?" Sael said, slightly shy. "We'll need all the luck we can get." She kissed him, longer than he did.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused the two to spring apart. "Oh, hi Mr. Mayberry," Sael said, noticing the detective walking towards them. "Is something the matter?"

Mayberry looked from her to the rest of them standing together, his hands in his pockets. "Nothing you haven't already heard about. I just want to come along with you. I can help."

Elyan and Sael looked to Mario, Link and Samus. The three Smashers looked at each other, doubtful. "As you said, it'll be dangerous," Link said. "We can stand a bullet or a wound better than you - we were made that way. Are you sure you want to risk your life out there?"

Mayberry nodded. "Yes."

Link shrugged, Samus and Mario nodding in agreement. "If you're-a certain," Mario said hesitantly.

"I guess we could use an extra hand - we are taking on an army," Samus said.

The car pulled up a moment later. Surprisingly, there was room for all six of them inside. Everyone piled in, and the driver immediately pulled away from the curb and began speeding down the street.

* * *

_This is an important battle, _Link thought, looking out the window at the streets flashing by. _Either we win, we die, or we lose our chance to go home. With a little luck we'll get past Ganondorf's army and fight him and the others, and whoever wins then will win for good. They will not hesitate to kill us. _He was used to such thoughts, especially about the person he was readying himself to face. It was all very familiar to him, and mentally running through tricks Bowser, Wario, and Ganondorf had used in the past and how they had been defeated managed to help calm him down. His breathing was low, deep, and even, drawing in much more air than he really needed until his body tingled with energy.

Sitting next to him, Samus had her eyes closed, but opened them when she sensed Link looking at her. "You know, I don't envy the real Samus."

Link looked at her curiously, wondering where that thought had come from. "You don't?" He wasn't surprised - from what he had heard, the real Samus Aran's life wasn't the best. He wondered why Samus was saying this now.

She shook her head. "She was all alone."

Link smiled. "Well, we're not. That's the one reason I'm glad the Hands made us fight - we had to live close to each other."

"And that was their-a mistake," Mario put in with a smile. "If they had-a kept us separate we wouldn't have-a become friends and-a gotten the strength to-a fight them."

"And now we're fighting the same people we fought beside just a few months ago," Link said, his smile fading into a contemplative frown. "I'll be honest with you - Ganondorf changing, even temporarily, seemed too good to be true. But I did think he'd hold off a while longer before turning on us."

Mario sighed. "It's-a getting ridiculous. The Hands are-a dead... we shouldn't have to keep-a fighting like-a this."

"Well, we have to do what we have to do," Samus said. "Try not to think about that too much. We can't go soft on them - we have to defeat them no matter what."

Link and Mario nodded slowly. The three fell into silence once more, mentally readying themselves for whatever might come as the car moved towards their destination.

* * *

Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario were lounging near the gate, watching the progress of the men outside. Beside the gate, a group of several bikers stood ready to carry the gate's enormous power cable out a side door.

"What are those men doing?" Ganondorf said impatiently. "I specifically instructed that they were to advance away from this location in every direction up to a radius of two city blocks in order to establish our defensive formation. _Why_, then, are they hovering about here as though they were a swarm of addled Keese?"

Wario peered out a window. "Looks like dere's a buncha official-lookin' guys wiv guns dat are surroundin' da place. I don't dink dey're lettin' da mooks we sent out go too far."

"Oh, by the mercy of the Seven Sages-" Ganondorf looked as though he desperately wished to strangle something. "Exterminate them! We cannot afford to let anything stand in our way!"

One of the bikers near the gate gasped in shock. Ganondorf turned to look at him. "You. Go deliver the order to attack. And do it quickly!"

Swallowing heavily, the man jogged over to the front door of the detention center. Throwing it open, he took a moment to steady himself before throwing back his head and shouting at the top of his lungs. "Ganondorf has given the order! Open fire! OPEN FIRE!"

Stunned, the bikers standing defensively outside looked from the long line of armed policemen just ahead of them to the yelling man and back again. Moving quickly, they unsnapped the safeties on their machine guns and thumbed the triggers en masse, their faces screwed up in anguish.

_BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!_

* * *

The car slowed to a stop at the side of the road when the sound of gunshots filled the air. "What's going on?" Link asked. "That's a lot of gunshots being fired."

Samus looked around. "It sounds like it's coming from right in front of us."

"The fight has already a-started without us," Mario stated.

"A car would be a target," Samus said. "We should get out, just in case."

"Yes," Link agreed. "We have a better chance of approaching unnoticed on foot, especially if we split up."

Samus frowned. "Splitting up always seems to cause trouble for us, but I suppose it's necessary."

Link nodded, opening his door. "Let's go." He opened his door and got out, Samus, Mario, Elyan, Sael, and Mayberry coming to join him on the sidewalk.

"We'll split up at the end of this street and meet back in front of the detention center," Samus announced. "No one goes in alone."

Mario shook his head. "Any of us would-a be defeated by them by ourselves."

The group hesitated at the edge of the street, looking around the corner at the detention center. There were a few people in uniform firing wildly, desperately trying to stay alive as scared-looking men in dirty, dark clothes advanced, firing wildly. The street was littered with bodies.

"Let's-a go," Mario said, pushing the group back away from the battle.

Samus nodded and quickly pointed out routes for each person. "Sael, Elyan... try to find as much cover as you can. This isn't the Smash World, and human bodies are much, much more delicate than the artificial ones you used to have."

Sael and Elyan nodded. "We'll be careful," Sael said.

Mayberry still looked doubtful. "Teenagers out there by themselves..."

"We'll be alright," Elyan promised. "We've been well-trained."

"Everyone..." Link hesitated, looking around at everyone present. "Good luck."

With that, the group split up. Sael and Elyan took a circuitous route, first doubling back and then going around the buildings, reluctantly separating when their path split into two. Samus, Link and Mario designated three angles at the front and Mayberry quickly located a path that led him towards the side of the detention center.

Samus looked at Link and Mario. "Ready?"

Link nodded.

"Here we-a go again," Mario said, lighting up his hands. The three took deep breaths and moved to engage Ganondorf's army.

* * *

Mayberry skulked down the street, hiding behind any piece of cover he could find and gradually getting closer and closer to where the bikers were advancing down the street. His progress was slow and tortuous, the slightest of sounds liable to set him off.

Checking his holsters to make sure his guns were there for the fifth time, he noticed that his hands were shaking. _I'm not used to situations like this,_ he thought ruefully to himself. _I'm a detective, not a soldier. I don't know how to act on the battlefield. _He swallowed as quietly as he could. _Maybe this was a bad idea._

Mayberry paused when he was less than two blocks away from the bikers, surveying them from behind a mailbox.

As he watched, the line of men split into groups and moved off down several different adjacent streets, leaving only three bikers to continue down the road.

Mayberry smiled. _So, they're splitting up, huh? That evens the odds considerably._

He waited until they were less than a block away before making his move. Quietly removing his guns from their holsters and flicking off the safeties, Mayberry dashed out from behind the mailbox and squeezed off two shots, hitting one of the men in his leg and another in his thigh. The two of them went down with yells of pain, their guns falling to the street forgotten as the men clutched helplessly at their wounds.

The third man instinctively fired at the running form of Mayberry, his eyes wide with fright. Most of his shots were completely wild, missing the detective by several meters, but some were dangerously close, forcing Mayberry to dive to the ground and roll away to avoid them.

By the time he had managed to get back up on his feet and look around, the third man was running straight at him, still firing away. Grimacing, Mayberry was forced to duck and weave behind any piece of cover he could find, desperately trying to shake off his pursuer.

Just as Mayberry was getting short of breath, a blinding white light flashed from a nearby alley, blinding both him and the biker chasing him. After squinting and hurriedly rubbing the spots out of his eyes, he turned and shot the disoriented biker in the shoulder.

The man staggered to one side, clutching his bleeding arm and weakly trying to raise his gun again. Striding up to him, Mayberry kicked the gun out of his hand and pressed the handgun in his right hand against the man's forehead. "Run now if you want to live," he said coldly.

Blankly staring up at him in terror, the man scrambled away and sprinted from the spot as fast as his legs would carry him.

Exhaling heavily, Mayberry holstered his guns and sat down on the sidewalk, taking a brief rest.

"Nicely done, Mr. Mayberry," a voice rang out. "I knew I chose well when I selected you to assist me."

Mayberry was on his feet in an instant, spinning around and yanking his right handgun out of its holster, aiming it at the sound of the voice. His eyes widened as he recognized who was standing there. "You!"

"Me," said Mr. A.

* * *

The men Samus was attempting to sneak up on spotted her fairly quickly, immediately raising their weapons and firing at her.

She deflected a spray of bullets with a stream of energy from her Grapple Beam, sending the luminescent strand around to rip one man's gun out of his hands and smash it to the floor. She fired a charged shot of her Power Beam at him, the explosion of energy knocking him backwards. Samus lunged forward, kicking him while he stumbled and sending him tumbling to the ground.

"W-wait! I surrender!" The man held up shaking hands. "Oh god, oh god, he's going to kill me for this," he muttered under his breath.

Samus fired a larger charged shot at his gun, reducing it to rubble. "Ganondorf?"

"He's going to kill me," the man said. "Or worse."

"Then run," Samus said. "We're going to try and make sure that he's not around to kill you when we're done with him. Run for it and don't look back."

Without another word, the man fled past Samus and into the streets. Samus fired a rocket at a second man turning to shoot at her, crushing the trigger and, by the cry of pain, breaking the fingers of that hand. She dropped to the ground to avoid the bullets fired by the now permanently firing gun, its owner now unable to depress the trigger. Samus sent her Grapple Beam out again, catching the man's legs and yanking them out from under him. The man's fingers were violently yanked out of the twisted mess of his gun's trigger, the gun itself flying off into the distance.

"I-I give!" the man yelled.

"Go. Run." Samus pointed after the other man, who had disappeared into the city. The man scrambled to his feet and obeyed, cradling his broken fingers with his other hand.

* * *

A block away, a small group of men were uncertainly charging straight for Link.

Link whipped out his boomerang, hitting a man in the stomach before leaping forwards and kicking him back to hit the wall. A sharp crack was heard from the man's legs, the unfortunate man weakly attempting to rise to his feet but being unable to do so due to his newly broken right leg. Link whirled around, running towards another man. Link dodged out of the way of the incoming gunfire and sliced his sword through the gun's barrel, leaving half the gun to clatter to the ground and the quivering man holding the other half. "I-I surrender!"

"Take him somewhere where people can help him," Link said to the rest of the terrified men, gesturing to the man who was clutching his torso and groaning, "Is there somewhere like that nearby?"

"Th-there's a hospital a couple blocks away," one man stammered.

"Take him there," Link ordered. The man nodded, helping the wounded one to his feet. The two of them stumbled away, their guns lying abandoned on the street.

A new hail of bullets ricocheted off of Link's shield. Raising the shield a little higher, Link pulled a bomb out, turning to face a cluster of three or four men. He tossed the bomb into the center of the knot of people, crouching down and covering his ears. A moment later, it exploded, sending the men flying back down the street.

_They're terrified, _Link thought. _It's not their fight, but they've been forced into it._ His old hatred for Ganondorf flared back up. _Why does he always have to involve innocent people?_

* * *

Sael raced through the alleyway, mallet at the ready. She slowed down when she heard the sound of gunfire, moving to the corner and peeking around ever so slightly.

Two police officers were behind a dumpster, in the middle of a firefight with four bikers. As she watched, one biker fell to his knees, blood staining his dark shirt. The other three continued to fire back. In a matter of seconds, one police officer fell, then the other.

Sael watched as they approached, pressing herself against the wall. _I have to be careful. Samus, Link, and Mario have a chance of scaring them into surrender, but I don't. I'm just a teenage girl with a croquet mallet. I'm going to have to disable them all before they can fire a shot. _The sound of footsteps snapped her back to attention growing closer as the bikers pressed forward. As they ran past the corner, she brought her mallet down on the shoulder of one man, kicking the small of his back and sending him stumbling towards his friends with a cry of pain.

Sael took advantage of her fairly small size to duck behind the now off-balance man and use him as a shield from the retaliatory fire of the other two. After the man in front of her had been heavily ridden with bullets, she darted out from behind him and gave one of the remaining two a powerful blow to the throat with the mallet. He grunted and fell to the ground.

Sael noticed the other one bringing his gun around to aim at her and dropped to the ground to avoid the bullets. She rolled forwards, remembering the countless hours of fights she'd watched back in the Smash World, and the thousands of Wire Frames she had defeated to perfect her own skills in case she was caught without someone around to control. Now that she had sworn never to turn a person into her puppet again, the thorough knowledge of how to use a blunt instrument effectively that she had learned was very useful. IO's impassive fighting lessons rang in her ears as she whipped out the mallet from her position on the ground, hitting the third man on an angle to the joint of his knee. He dropped his gun, crying out with pain and collapsing.

It sickened her that the things she had been taught at the beginning of her life as Sael could only be used to destroy. She reminded herself that she was doing it to stop Ganondorf and that many others would be hurt or killed if they did not. She also reminded herself that Elyan was fighting too in a nearby alley, and that if he got to the detention center ahead of her he would be worried about her. She didn't have any time to waste.

Sael bashed each gun against the ground, destroying them, and ran on.

* * *

"You again," said Mayberry, disgust evident in his voice as he slowly put his handgun back in its holster. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. A sighed. "Can we please dispense with the formalities, Mr. Mayberry? I don't have much time." All traces of his previous calm and collected demeanor were gone. His trenchcoat was only half-buttoned, most of the buttons being in the wrong holes. His hair was completely disheveled and hung down over his face in random clumps. His sunglasses had slipped halfway down his nose to reveal wide green eyes with a hunted look in them. He was, in short, a mess.

"Give me one reason to listen to anything you have to say," Mayberry growled.

"I can understand your feelings, Mr. Mayberry, but they are hardly of any consequence here-" Mr. A began.

"_Hardly of any consequence?!_" Mayberry exclaimed. "You sent me into a trap! What did you expect me to do, just shrug it off?"

"There are more important things at stake here than you and me, Mr. Mayberry!" Mr. A said furiously. "In any case, my information was more of a boon to you than anything else!"

"Really," Mayberry said, folding his arms. "You think having me get captured, tortured, and then having to fight my way out of a heavily guarded hideout is a boon to me?"

"Think, Mr. Mayberry, think!" said Mr. A forcefully, making violent gestures with his left hand. "If you had not been given the location of Ganondorf's base of operations, where would you be right now? You and your organization would still be stumbling around the city desperately searching for the location of your enemies while Ganondorf executed his plans in his own time! Thanks to my information, you have cornered him in his base and now stand a chance of bringing down his entire operation!"

Mayberry paused, thinking this over. "I guess you're right," he admitted. "So why are you here now? Isn't everything going the way you wanted it to?"

"Somewhat, yes," Mr. A said distractedly. "Despite the valiant efforts of both you and the Smashers, this conflict could still go either way. We are upon the tipping point, Mr. Mayberry. Whatever happens next will change everything. It is vitally important that you listen to what I am about to tell you."

"Go ahead, then," said Mayberry. "I'm listening."

"Ganondorf has built a replica of the Earth transdimensional gate, and believes that it is to be used to summon an army of spirits into this world," explained Mr. A.

"What do you mean, he _believes_ that's why the gate was made?" Mayberry asked confusedly. "If he built it, doesn't _he_ decide what it's for?"

Mr. A shook his head. "There are other forces at work here. This battle between the Smashers and Ganondorf represents only a portion of the full conflict currently in progress. Ganondorf has been manipulated into building the gate, though he is not aware of this. I believe I know who made him do such a thing, and why he wanted it to happen. If I am correct, that gate will be the catalyst for a threat to all of existence."

"All of existence?" Mayberry echoed, frowning. "Aren't you being a little overdramatic?"

"No, Mr. Mayberry, I am not," Mr. A said fiercely. "This world, the Smashers' world, my own, and countless others all face the same great danger."

"Which is?" Mayberry asked.

"Annihilation," Mr. A said in a hushed whisper. "The complete and utter destruction of all of reality."

"Really." Mayberry looked at him quizzically. "Who is it, exactly, that's trying to make this happen? What kind of person would want to destroy everything?"

"A being of great power and dangerously warped views," Mr. A said solemnly. "His name is-"

_BLAM! BLAMBLAMBLAM!_

Three police officers staggered into view of the alley, their hands covering spreading red stains on their clothes. One by one, they collapsed into a bloody heap.

Mr. A watched this with a horrified expression. "We're running out of time," he whispered. He grabbed Mayberry's arm and spun him back around to face him. "Mr. Mayberry, whatever else you do inside that building, make sure that the gate is destroyed," he said urgently. "Do you understand me? Ganondorf must not be allowed to activate the gate! If he does, we are finished!"

"Okay, okay, I'll do it," Mayberry promised, still feeling slightly confused about the whole thing.

"Good, then." Mr. A let go of Mayberry's arm, apparently satisfied. Turning around, he began walking back down the alley. "Farewell, Mr. Mayberry," he called over his shoulder. "We most likely will not meet again."

Raising an eyebrow at him, Mayberry moved to exit the alley and return to the street when a thought struck him. He turned back. "Hey, did you just say _your_ world instead of _our_ world?"

Mr. A didn't pause or look back, continuing his walk down the alley.

"Answer me!" Mayberry called out, beginning to jog towards him. "Just who are you, anyway?"

Another flash of light filled the alley, blinding Mayberry once again. Staggering around until he reached a wall, he leaned up against it and blinked furiously, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. When he was able to see again, he straightened up and looked back down the alley.

Mr. A had disappeared.

* * *

Before he knew what was happening, Mario was surrounded by a group of bikers, their confident expressions telling him that his portly appearance had convinced them that he was of little threat.

Mario whipped around in a circle, producing a swirl of flame from his gloves that blew outwards at the circle of men. The men immediately dropped their guns and tried to slap out their now flaming clothing. Once he made sure that all of the men were distracted, Mario blasted even hotter fireballs at the ground, melting and fusing the metal of the dropped guns. One man hurriedly tried to pick up his weapon, but recoiled in pain from the intense heat, shaking his burnt fingers in the air.

Mario lit his hands on fire and held them towards the six men. "Please just-a surrender. I don't want-a to hurt you."

The men were about to disregard him and attack with their bare hands when they noticed the flames coming out of his skin, dancing across his gloves without burning them. They immediately turned and ran in the opposite direction.

"How did we get into this?" one of them asked as they fled. "These people aren't human. That guy can light his hands on fire! And the weird stuff Ganondorf does! None of this should be possible!"

"Don't even think about it, Tom," another said. "Save your sanity."

* * *

Elyan climbed up the bottom of a fire escape, getting a firm handhold with his free hand and pushing off with his feet, hanging underneath the metal structure.

_This is suicidal, _Jeremy pointed out. _They have guns and you have a friggin' curtain rod. How do you plan on taking them out? _

_Watch me, _Elyan thought. _I've been taught well. Don't distract me._

He hung there silently as two bikers walked down the alley, unaware he was there. A moment before they would have been directly under him, he let go, crashing down onto the first one's head and lashing out with the curtain rod to send the other one's gun skittering across the ground.

While the two bikers were still paralyzed with surprise, he scrambled to his feet, reaching over and grabbing the still-working gun.

_Do you even know how to use one of those?_ Jeremy demanded.

_No, I only know how to use stun guns, _Elyan admitted._ But it can't be too different, can it?_

The one remaining armed man went for his weapon. Elyan pointed his gun at him, shooting and grazing the man's hand and causing him to drop his gun. Elyan moved forward, kicking the other gun away from them. Turned back to the now completely defenceless men, he levelled the gun at them. "Get out of here."

"Taken out by a kid," one of them groaned. "We're _dead_."

"Ganondorf will be too busy to kill you," Elyan said, correctly guessing what they were talking about. "He'll be dealing with _us_. I don't want to kill you, but if you don't go now you're putting my friends in danger, and I _will_ kill to protect them." His face was solemn, completely serious, displaying to the terrified men that he was fully capable of carrying through with his threats. "Just leave, will you?"

"Okay," the other one said wearily, putting his hands up. "Fine. We're going."

When they had reached the end of the alleyway and Elyan could no longer see them, he turned and ran towards the detention center. _See? Told you I could get them,_ he thought smugly.

_Oh, shut up,_ Jeremy growled.

* * *

Samus and Mario arrived near the detention center at about the same time. The two quickly looked each other over for any injuries, traded a quick, relieved smile, and turned, looking for the others. Mayberry arrived a moment later.

"Where's Link?" Samus asked, looking around for the telltale green tunic of their friend and ally.

"He can't-a really fight enemies with-a ranged weapons that-a well," Mario put in. "He could-a be in trouble."

Meeting each others' worried eyes, the two of them had the same mental image of their friend surrounded by gunmen with only a wooden boomerang and a limited supply of bombs to fight with.

"Let's go," Samus said. She and Mario raced off in the direction Link was supposed to be coming from. Mayberry hung back, watching the streets for any more signs of approaching bikers.

Rounding a corner, Samus' heart skipped a beat when she saw a trio of men with their backs to her and Mario, aiming their guns and getting ready to fire at a cornered Link. Just as they were about to open fire, Link dodged to one side and ran one of the men through with his sword, forcefully kicking the second man to the side and touching the point of his sword to the remaining man's throat.

"Will you surrender now?" Link asked, his voice low and deadly.

"Y-yes!" the man said, his body shaking just as much as his voice.

"Good." Link took the gun from his hands and bashed it against the wall, then turned towards Samus and Mario with a relieved expression.

Samus saw a man come running at Link from behind him, aiming his gun at the Hylian's back. "Link!" she called out in warning, raising her arm cannon.

Link ducked, allowing Samus to fire a rocket over his head. The rocket hit the man's gun straight on, shattering the gun and badly burning the man's hands. The man fell backwards, clutching his hands to his chest in pain.

Link got to his feet, looking behind him at his would-be attacker. "Thank you," he said to Samus.

Samus nodded. "Don't mention it. We were getting worried about you."

Link looked over at the dead man lying on the sidewalk, his face screwed up in anguish. "I told them to surrender," he said, "but they said were just too afraid of Ganondorf to do it. I had to kill them. I had to kill innocent people. Innocent people always get killed when I go up against Ganondorf."

Samus put a hand on Link's shoulder in silent sympathy.

"Let's-a go," Mario said. "We-a need to meet up with the others-a." Link and Samus nodded, and the three raced back towards the building.

* * *

"I'm hearing screams," one of the bikers said nervously, peering out a window at the spectacle outside. "Should we be doing something?"

"Beats me," another biker said, shrugging. "Ganondorf, Wario, and the others went off somewhere and didn't leave anyone else in charge. I don't have any idea what we're supposed to do."

"Never fear, we have returned," Ganondorf assured them, stepping back into the room with Bowser and Wario behind him. "We felt the need to dress for the occasion."

The biker's jaws collectively dropped as they looked over the trio. Ganondorf had changed back into his traditional brown outfit, complete with flowing cape. His orange hair was once again elegantly coiffed and styled inside the instrument on his head, completing his transformation. Wario's outfit was a strange blend of his previous three, consisting of his yellow biker hat and goggles, his plain white shirt, his purple overalls, and his fur-laced leather jacket. Bowser, unsurprisingly, was completely unchanged.

"I still think you look ridiculous," Bowser muttered to Wario under his breath.

"Bite me," Wario retorted.

"Keep mouthing off like that and I will," Bowser threatened, baring his teeth.

"Enough, gentlemen," Ganondorf cautioned, silencing the two of them with a wave of his hand. "Now is not the time to be quarrelling amongst ourselves." He looked over at the group of bikers hanging around the gate. "Do you have anything to report?"

"We've been seeing and hearing a lot of commotion outside," one of the bikers replied nervously. "We think we might be losing."

Ganondorf scowled slightly. "And the gate?"

The man pointed to where the massive power cable disappeared out a door. "We attached the spokes at the end of the cable to the nearest power line tower that we could find, as you ordered. A bunch of our guys are hanging around there guarding it, but they're pretty far away from most of the fighting. They probably won't be disturbed."

"Excellent," Ganondorf said crisply. "Have the Smashers been sighted?"

Another biker nodded. "Three funny-lookin' guys have been coming closer and closer for ten minutes now. From the looks of it, they're disabling guys out there pretty fast."

Ganondorf sighed. "I had hoped the men I sent would last at least a little while longer. It seems I have no choice, then. You." He pointed to yet another of the bikers. "Go out and inform the men that they are to abandon the line of defense and begin a full-scale retreat back here. Survival is now their highest priority."

The man nodded, sprinting out the door and heading down the sidewalk.

"Uh...Ganondorf, sir?" the biker who had given the status report asked hesitantly. "Won't the Smashers follow the retreating men all the way back here?"

"That is exactly what they will do," said Ganondorf, smiling maliciously. "And we will provide precisely the sort of welcome that they deserve. Arm yourselves, my friends!" he proclaimed, his cape swirling dramatically behind him. "This war shall end here!"

* * *

Elyan stood at the back of the detention center, looking around for Sael. He heard a short cry of pain from a nearby alley. Instantly on alert, he stealthily made his way over to the alley and looked inside.

Sael was standing over the prone form of a biker, holding her mallet in steady hands. She turned around, looking for more foes.

Faint footsteps sounded behind Elyan. _More of them are coming,_ he realized. Moving quickly, he sprinted over to Sael, taking her hand and dragging her behind a dumpster.

Sael raised her mallet threateningly at him, but lowered it when she saw it was Elyan. "What is it?" she asked him.

Elyan put a finger to his lips, indicating where three bikers were walking around the corner, weapons in hand. "Shh."

Sael nodded silently. Another man ran out the back door, spoke quickly to the three of them, and they split up, running down four separate alleys.

Slowly, Sael and Elyan crept out from behind the dumpster and moved out of the alley.

* * *

Samus, Mario, and Mayberry stood back by the wall. Whenever a biker came into range, or raised their weapon, Samus or Mayberry would fire off a warning shot, or a warning fireball in Mario's case, and Link would race in, placing his sword at the man's neck and demanding that he surrender.

After several minutes of this, Sael and Elyan arrived from around the side of the detention center. Sael still carried her mallet, but Elyan appeared to have traded his curtain rod for one of the bikers' guns. When he received an enquiring glance from Link, Elyan explained. "I can duel a swordsman or a hand-to-hand fighter with a curtain rod. Guns are different."

Slowly, the bikers seemed to stop coming, fleeing down other streets and disappearing back inside the detention center.

"Surrender?" Mario wondered out loud.

"Retreat, probably," Link said. "Ganondorf has realized we're defeating his army and doesn't want to put them to waste."

Samus sighed in relief, looking over the assembled party. "Is everyone okay? Anyone injured?"

Elyan raised an arm to display a few shallow cuts. "Just a little battered."

"Here, let me help," Sael said, ripping a piece off of her shirt to tie up one of the deeper ones. "I'm okay," she added to Samus.

"I'm-a fine," Mario put in.

"Nothing serious," Mayberry said casually, holstering his guns.

"I'm alright," Link said.

"Good. Let's head inside." Samus began to walk.

Link raced up to her side, Mario on his heels. Sael, Elyan and Mayberry followed behind them.

* * *

"One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one."

-Agatha Christie

* * *

U92: And so, the final battle approaches.

I really love writing scenes like the Mr. A/Mayberry one here. Informative, but still mysterious enough to raise questions. Don't worry, everything will be revealed soon.

Did you really think I was going to give something like the identity of who's pulling Ganondorf's strings away so easily? I'd much rather give you time to mull it over before the big reveal.

I'm quite surprised that Sue2 had the metaphorical balls to have Link actually _kill_ one of the bikers. It certainly helps add to the emotion of the scene.

Certain people who shall remain nameless have been saying that Sael seems "lame" with her choice of weapon. Hopefully this chapter rectified that.

Sue2: Sael isn't lame at all when she's in her element. ^_^

The final battle is on its way! But we've managed to keep it from you for a little while longer.

Well, well? Who on earth could be puppeting Ganondorf like that? I know! It's -shot-

At least you finally told ME, Ultiman. XP

I hope you all enjoyed this!


	21. Showdown

U92: Better late than never, as they say. Here it is, the big heroes vs. villains battle you've been waiting for!

Sue2: Alright! It took a while, but this is not going to be one of those fics that just end without really ending. Time for the fight!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-

_Showdown_

* * *

After an experimental pull by Mayberry, the door to the detention center swung open. Mario, Link, and Samus rushed inside, their weapons at the ready. Sael, Elyan and Mayberry cautiously followed close behind. The group spread out into a straight line, getting into defensive positions as they appraised their enemies.

Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario were all standing protectively in front of the gate, which was quietly humming. The surviving bikers were all clustered around them, aiming their guns directly at the newcomers.

"Ganondorf!" Link yelled, holding his sword out challengingly. "This ends, right now!"

Ganondorf merely smiled at him. "Ah, yes. The Hylian and the Smashers, come to do battle with us once again. And the detective, as well," he noted, looking at Mayberry with raised eyebrows. "Quite the team you have assembled here."

"Don't forget us!" Elyan called out challengingly, raising his gun.

Ganondorf's eyes widened as he looked over at Sael and Elyan. "_Children?_" he asked incredulously. "You bring _children_ to fight us, Hylian? And you call _me_ the barbarian."

"We're not children!" Sael called out defiantly, brandishing her croquet mallet at him. "We're the Operators! We know how to fight!"

Bowser blinked in surprise. "Operators? Those two kids from the Smash World? Huh. I thought you two had died or something."

"As did I," Ganondorf interjected. "Unfortunately, your previous assistance in our battle against the Hands does not excuse your standing against us now. We will show no mercy towards you here. Now, I believe the time is right for us to get down to business. There is an Earth expression I have heard that seems to fit this occasion quite well – let us 'bring down the house'!"

In a sudden movement, Ganondorf conjured a ball of swirling purple energy in the palm of his hand and hurled it upwards. The ceiling exploded, letting sunlight steam into the room and sending debris raining down.

"MOVE!" Mayberry bellowed, dropping his guns and grabbing Sael and Elyan, shoving them against the wall to protect them from the falling concrete and plaster. The Smashers were a few seconds slower than him, and were buried by the rubble before they could move out of the way. The villains, bikers, and the gate were all perfectly unharmed, thanks to a timely repulsion spell by Ganondorf that pushed all the falling debris aside to land harmlessly in front of them.

The last of the fragments of ceiling eventually hit the ground, and everything was momentarily still.

Mario burst from the piles of detritus, his hands crackling with fire. Rolling off to the side, he shot off a fireball at Bowser before quickly diving back behind a pile of debris. The fireball hit Bowser full in the face, bowling him over with an explosion of fire. Ganondorf, Wario and the bikers hurriedly broke formation, stepping away from the sudden heat as fast as they could.

"Hold your positions!" Ganondorf roared, angrily brushing down his clothes. "Wario, take six men and defend the gate at all costs! Bowser, engage the enemy with the rest of our forces, but leave the Hylian to me!"

Bowser and Wario nodded, splitting off with groups of terrified-looking men. Wario and his bikers formed a half-circle around the gate, while Bowser moved into a flanking formation with his men, cautiously approaching Mario. Ganondorf was right beside them, scanning the half-destroyed room for any sign of his nemesis.

Hidden behind a particularly large piece of plaster, Link slowly extracted himself from a mound of twisted metal, hissing with pain every few seconds. Once he was completely free, he began creeping through the meandering aisles of wreckage, keeping his head below the remains of the ceiling to prevent himself from being seen.

"You two okay?" Mayberry whispered, lowering his arms and looking down at the teenagers flat against the wall in front of him.

Sael and Elyan slowly stood up, eyes wide and raising their weapons warily. "Yes," they said in unison.

"Good. This is the plan," Mayberry said, raising his voice slightly. "Right now the debris is blocking us from their view, so they have no idea where we are or what condition we're in. That gives us the element of surprise. If you're going in there, stay low and hide behind the rubble for as long as possible. Disable as many of them as you can without being seen. If you are spotted, get behind cover as fast as you can. I'm going to try to take out that gate, so be aware that there _will_ be shots fired in here. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Sael and Elyan chorused again.

"Then get moving," Mayberry ordered, giving the two of them a light push away from the wall. The duo immediately crouched down and crawled alongside the wreckage, their weapons at the ready. Elyan led the way with his gun pointed straight ahead, while Sael covered their backs with her croquet mallet.

Tearing his gaze from the teens, Mayberry spotted his guns sticking out from under a fragmented sheet of metal. Bending down, he tugged out one gun and then the other from under the wreckage, brushing the dust off of both of them. Gripping his handguns tightly, he slunk off against the rubble in the opposite direction Sael and Elyan had gone.

* * *

Just as Bowser and Mario were mere steps from each other, a pile of rubble near them exploded unexpectedly, surprising both of them with a new hail of wreckage. Samus rolled out in her Morph Ball form, quickly unfurling into a battle pose with her gun aimed directly at the disoriented Bowser.

"Mario, take out the gate!" Samus yelled, blasting aside the bikers around Bowser with a few well-placed shots. "I'll handle Bowser!"

"Right-a!" Mario responded, sprinting past her and heading for where the gate was charging.

Samus turned her attention back to Bowser. The Koopa was brushing off the pieces of plaster clinging to his shell when he spotted Mario dashing past him. Baring his teeth, Bowser pivoted in place to pursue him but was halted in his tracks by a Power Beam scorching the ground beside him. He briefly stared at the smoking patch of floor before whipping around to stare at Samus, a mixture of irritation and confusion in his eyes.

"Don't even think about it," Samus admonished, aiming her arm cannon directly at him. "Your fight is with me!"

Bowser snarled in frustration, his claws clenching into fists. "I don't have time for this!" he roared, lunging at Samus.

* * *

Mario's movements had become less of a run and more of a series of jumps, lightly flying forward with first one foot and then the other across the room. He never broke his stride once, his eyes fixated on the silver gate ahead of him.

Quite abruptly, Wario stepped into his path, forcing him to abruptly skid to a stop to avoid crashing into the rotund man. Mario scowled at him, the flames on his hands suddenly growing in size and intensity. "Get out-a of the way, Wario."

Wario grinned at him. "Notta chance. Do ya know how long I've been waitin' ta do dis? Bowser's always insisted on 'avin' da first crack at ya and not leavin' any fer da rest of us. Da guy's completely forgotten dat _I've_ got some scores ta settle wiv ya, too. Besides," he added, drawing the Super Scope Seven from behind his back, "target practice is no fun wiv a slow target."

"What's-a that?" Mario questioned, his eyes narrowing. "Another-a Earth gun?"

"Close," Wario acknowledged, inclining his head towards Mario respectfully. "Dis 'ere's a mix of our tech and deirs. It can 'urt both humans and Smashers, so it's really powerful. And guess what?" he questioned gleefully, bringing the gun up to bear and cocking it. "Ya get ta be its first victim."

He fired.

Mario just barely managed to fling himself to one side to avoid the massive ball of energy that blasted out of the gun's barrel. The energy ball missed him by centimeters, flying into a pile of detritus and exploding in a flash of light that rained small bits of plaster everywhere.

_It's-a even more-a powerful than the guns from-a the Smash World!_ Mario realized, scrambling to his feet. _This is-a bad. If I get-a hit with that-a blast, I'll-a revert to trophy form – or worse!_

Mario tossed three fireballs in quick succession, aiming at Wario's arms, head and chest. Moving off to the left, Wario nimbly sidestepped the fireballs, cocking the gun yet again and thumbing the trigger. A series of small shots came out this time instead of one large one, and Mario was forced to drop to the ground and roll away to avoid the hail of gunfire.

"Wah ha ha ha!" Wario crowed, aiming the Super Scope Seven towards the plumber on the floor. "I can't remember da last time I 'ad dis much fun without somethin' bein' on fire!"

"Happy to-a oblige!" Mario shouted, propping himself up and tossing another fireball directly at him.

Wario leaned over to one side, frowning as the fireball blew past him. "Okay, dat's getting' annoyin'," he muttered to himself, cocking the gun and resuming his steady stream of fire.

Mario leaped high into the air, landing awkwardly on one of the piles of wreckage and hurriedly sliding over to the other side. Wario fired off several more shots, a few of which hit Mario in the leg as he disappeared behind the rubble.

Mario landed on the floor next to the debris with a loud thump, gritting his teeth from the impacts of the energy bolts on his leg. Shaking his leg vigorously, he managed to make the pain subside long enough to get into a unsteady crouching position.

"So, ya wanna play hide n' seek, huh?" Wario's mocking voice called out. "Dat's fine. I can keep dis goin' as long as you wanna."

Mario ignored him, looking back down at his injured leg. _So,_ he thought to himself, _the small-a blasts hurt but don't-a paralyze or-a break the skin. I only need-a to watch out-a for the big ones-a._

"Are ya over 'ere?" Wario questioned thoughtfully, firing off a few shots at a random pile of rubble in front of him and watching as it slowly fell apart. "How 'bout 'ere?" He shot up another pile. "Maybe 'ere?" Another pile blew up.

Hidden behind his own heap of detritus, Mario grimaced as he watched the piles around him crumble and fall apart under the Super Scope Seven's barrage of laser shots. It was only a matter of time until his pile was destroyed and he was left exposed and defenseless.

_Think-a, think-a!_ Mario thought desperately. _If he-a destroys my cover before I can-a come up with a plan, he'll-a hit me with-a a large shot and that'll-a be the end. I need a plan-a. _He screwed his eyes shut, concentrating hard. _Alright-a, think-a. Back on the Smash-a World, the Super Scopes only had-a three charged-a shots. If I can-a make him waste two more-a shots, he'll be forced to use only-a small blasts. Then I'll-a have an advantage. I just need-a a distraction._

* * *

"I've wanted to talk to you for awhile," Samus said, leaping backwards to avoid a swipe by Bowser's claws.

"So you pick a fight with me?" Bowser asked incredulously, swinging at her again.

"Yes," Samus said, leaping back further and dropping a bomb directly into Bowser's path. Bowser batted the bomb away with his claws, flinging it away to hit a piece of debris from the ceiling and explode uselessly. Undaunted, Samus continued. "How else was I supposed to get your attention away from Mario for five minutes? He's not exactly the person who's going to say something like this to you."

Despite the surprising civility of their conversation, the battle between Bowser and Samus was fierce and, at the moment, evenly matched. Samus used Bowser's surprise at her statement to fire a heat-seeking rocket at him and charge up a power shot. She raced forward, to be knocked back by Bowser's flames.

"Well?" Bowser said irritably. "Are you going to tell me whatever it is you're going to tell me, or are we going to fight?"

"Both," Samus said, springing forward to attack once more. "What exactly are you doing here?"

Bowser grabbed her by the leg and slammed her to the ground. "Fighting you. You attacked me, remember?"

Samus rolled away from him, shaking the momentary numbness out of her leg. "I mean in general." She fired off her charged shot, sending Bowser toppling back into a pile of debris. "Ganondorf and Wario make it clear why they act. You're an enigma, though - nobody really knows why you do what you do. I've heard stories about you and seen a lot of what you do, and you still make no sense to me. One second, you've got enough of a heart to save Peach's life, next second you team up with Ganondorf and Wario and start fighting us. Why?"

Bowser burst out of the debris and spun at her, encased in his spiny shell. Samus leaped over him and whipped around to face him as he emerged from his shell. "Well, why do you do what _you_ do?" Bowser challenged. "How can you be sure you're in the right?"

"I'm not," Samus said. "But I do what I believe is right, and what will protect the people who mean a lot to me."

Samus fiercely attacked Bowser again, firing a rocket at him, dropping a bomb on his head, and Screw Attacking in his direction.

Bowser cried out in pain, staggering back and dropping to the ground. Samus stood back for a moment and waited, just barely moving back into position to attack when Bowser leapt to his feet again and charged at her. "Not everyone's world is so black and white," he stated, tackling her."For you there's no question. You're lucky."

Samus was flung to the ground under his massive weight.

* * *

Wario was rapidly losing patience. "Where are ya, ya dumb mook?" he grumbled, destroying pile after pile and still finding no sign of his quarry.

Something flickered in the corner of his to look at, Wario spotted a small flame licking at the edges of one of the mounds of rubble. His smile widened. "Ya little moron, ya set yer cover on fire wiv dose bright burnin' hands of yours!" he cackled happily, squeezing off a charged shot towards the pile. In one swift motion, the entire heap and everything within a one foot radius was completely obliterated.

Wario eagerly scurried forward, examining the blackened and fragmented pieces of the mound for the remains of his enemy. His expression darkened when he noticed no sign of the plumber anywhere near the blast radius. Realization was quick and painful. "Aw, damn," he groaned. "I fergot ya can light stuff on fire from far away. Oldest trick in da book, and I fell fer it."

As if to confirm his assertions, Mario burst from a nearby pile, furiously flinging fireballs at him. Wario ducked and dodged out of the way, cocking his gun and firing off a third charged shot straight at the exposed Mario.

_This-a is it,_ Mario thought grimly. Summoning up every reserve of strength within him, he channeled the flames dancing on his gloves into making an enormous fireball roughly equal in size and shape to the energy blast. Exhaling loudly, he released the fireball and propelled it straight at the oncoming energy blast.

The resulting collision was stupendous, a huge explosion that knocked both Mario and Wario off their feet with the wind, stray flames, and energy billowing outward. Mario was the first to return to his feet, rising on wobbly legs and coughing with a grim smile on his face. "You're-a finished," he declared. "That was-a three charged shots. You've-a got nothing powerful left to-a throw at me."

Wario smiled. "Yeah, dat would be nice fer ya…if it were true."

He promptly cocked his gun, aimed, and squeezed off a charged shot.

Mario was too stunned to react, taking the blast head-on in the chest and being hurled into a nearby cluster of rubble. He slowly slid down to the ground, hacking and choking while vainly attempting to rise to his feet. "H-How-a?" he gasped.

Wario smirked. "Easy. Dis gun ain't like its previous version. It's powered directly by da big man 'imself." He jerked a thumb at Ganondorf, who was still prowling through the rows of detritus looking for Link. "As long as 'e's close by, dis gun ain't ever runnin' outta juice. I can use as many charged shots as I wanna."

He cocked the gun menacingly. "If ya wanna make dis fun, I'd suggest runnin'."

His face despondent and horror-struck, Mario wearily got to his feet and started stumbling back towards the piles of rubble.

"Dat's more like it!" Wario laughed, firing charged shots after the retreating form of the plumber. "Keep runnin', ya mook! Ya can't keep dis up forever!"

* * *

Elyan's hiding place was blown to bits by the force of the explosion of flames and energy. Knocked over by the force of the collision, he slid away from his and Sael's safe haven. From his prone position on the floor, he spotted several bikers with their backs to him. Tightly gripping his handgun, Elyan took aim and fired repeatedly.

Unfortunately, his shots were off by several yards and served only to draw the bikers' attention to him. Elyan grimaced in frustration, rolling out of the way of the incoming spray of bullets.

Sael raced out from her own hiding spot, crouching down next to him on the ground. "C'mon, Elyan. We've gotta find another spot so they won't know where we are. I'll take them out if they come close."

The two crawled among the debris, accidentally shifting a few pieces of rubble. The bikers noticed the sudden movement and came over to investigate. Sael waited for them to get within range, her croquet mallet at the ready. Elyan could see every muscle in the girl's body tensing up. When they turned around, Sael struck. She hit one in the center of his back, sending him crashing to the ground. "Elyan, where's that pressure point IO told us about?" she asked.

Elyan hit the other in the base of the skull with the back of his gun. "There!"

Sael took out the other biker with her mallet. "If we can hit them like that, maybe we won't have to kill them!"

Elyan nodded. "If they touch you, they die, but I'll do my best."

Sael smiled. "Same for me. Let's go."

* * *

Peering over the top of a jagged piece of shrapnel, Link watched with a furrowed brow as Mario attempted to evade Wario's attacks. He absentmindedly tapped the tip of the Master Sword on the ground, thinking hard. _Mario's in trouble. He can't attack Wario or the gate if all he can do is remain on the defensive. What's worse, he's rapidly running out of energy. _Link briefly glanced at the gate and then looked back at Mario's retreating form. _I wish I could help Mario, but the gate is more important. Whatever Ganondorf is summoning through there must be incredibly powerful if he was willing to lower his defenses to obtain it. I have to destroy that gate at all costs._

His mind made up, Link prepared to climb over the debris and head towards the gate. Before he could take more than a few steps, however, a large hand grabbed him by the throat from behind, effortlessly lifting him up and tossing him against the far wall.

Link smacked against the wall, dropping to the ground with a dull thud. Groaning in pain, he feebly reached out for his dropped sword and shield, pausing when a dark shadow fell over him.

Ganondorf smiled down at him. "Greetings, Hylian."

Link reacted instantly, lunging for his sword and shield and dragging them away from his nemesis. Hurriedly picking them up, he jumped into a defensive standing position, his sword at the ready.

Ganondorf threw back his head and laughed. "Must we do this dance yet again? It is an exercise in futility! Now more than ever, I hold the advantage over you."

"That's a lie!" Link called out defiantly. "I _know_ we're equally matched here, Ganondorf!"

Ganondorf's eyebrows rose. "Do you? How exactly are you so unshakably certain of this?"

Link gestured over to where Mario and Wario were fighting. "I overheard what Wario was saying about the weapon he's using. That gun is powered by your magic, which means it's constantly feeding off of it as a source of energy. Unless you want to deprive your ally of his most powerful weapon, you can't use any of your magic!"

"All of that may very well be true," Ganondorf conceded, "but I am hardly defenseless without my magic."

He extended his right arm, opening his palm and lifting it up towards the sky. Long swirls of dark energy appeared around his palm, thickening and lengthening until they formed a thin, vaguely rectangular mass. The energy abruptly dissipated, revealing an enormous golden sword resting in his hand.

Ganondorf hefted the sword, wrapping both hands around its hilt and pointing the sword challengingly at Link. "On your guard, Hylian!"

He rushed towards Link, swinging his sword in a powerful blow designed to knock his opponent off his feet. Link barely managed to duck under the massive blade, rolling off to the side and striking at Ganondorf's unprotected back. Ganondorf grunted in pain, whirling around and appraising his foe warily. The two of them circled for a moment, then charged at each other.

Ganondorf and Link fought with equal ferocity. Link was on the offensive, striking as often as he could in any place that could be an opening in Ganondorf's defenses. In contrast, Ganondorf maintained an ironclad defense with just a few precise movements of his sword, deflecting every attack with ease.

To his complete frustration, Link was unable to push Ganondorf towards the gate, the enormous man having guessed his intention after Link's first attempts to move him backwards and planting himself firmly in Link's way. As Link frantically attempted to formulate a strategy, Ganondorf appeared to tire of only defending and began to go on the attack, unleashing swift, powerful strokes on Link in between his blocks.

"You know, Hylian," Ganondorf said almost conversationally, swinging at Link yet again. "I have recently stumbled upon a most fascinating truth. Well, actually, it was the true me in Hyrule that did so, not myself specifically, but I am sure that you can understand my point."

Link gave no response, simply glaring at Ganondorf as he attempted to stab him in the chest.

"It was but a short time after I had last been reincarnated," Ganondorf recalled, a faraway look in his eyes that did not match the fast and powerful motions of his sword. "I was collapsed on the ground in utter agony due to the process of returning to physical form, cursing every deity I knew for forcing me to endure such pain. I had lost to you and your Princess Zelda on so many occasions, I had begun to lose count of the exact number. And yet I was always returned to life, given another chance whenever I failed in my mission of conquest. Why, I wondered? Why did the goddesses desire to eternally put me through a cycle of conflict, victory, and defeat with the forces of Hyrule? Do you know why, Hylian?"

Link still didn't reply, instead deflecting a strike that was on the verge of cutting him in half.

"The goddesses support me in our conflict," Ganondorf stated, his smile as wide as Link had ever seen it. "Your beloved Din, Nayru, and Farore wish for me to conquer Hyrule and take my place as ruler of our world. That is why I always return to battle you, Hylian. This war between us shall only end when I am standing over the corpses of you and your Princess. Then, and only then, our world shall know true peace under my rule."

"Wrong!" Link snapped, his rising anger lending a new strength to his attacks. "The goddesses support all that is good and just in the universe, and that doesn't include you! You're just a tyrant and an oppressor, and I _will_ bring you down!"

"We shall see, Hylian," Ganondorf said ominously, slashing at Link and nearly shearing off the tip of his floppy hat. "We shall see."

* * *

_BLAM! BLAM BLAM BLAM! BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!_

Mayberry spun in place, shooting almost every biker that was in his way. Men dropped one after the other, clutching their bleeding arms and legs.

With all the bikers in his immediate vicinity dispatched, Mayberry dropped down behind the rubble and reloaded his guns. As he was snapping off the safeties once more, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, Mayberry witnessed a scattered group of bikers slowly advancing toward Sael and Elyan, who were pressed up against the wall and cowering behind a piece of rubble.

"Stop or I'll shoot!" Elyan yelled, brandishing his gun.

The lead biker shook his head, his gun hand shaking violently. "Please, just surrender," he pleaded. "I don't want to hurt a kid…"

_This is going to get bloody very fast,_ Mayberry thought grimly, sprinting towards them. _I swear,_ _I don't know how those two survived five minutes without me._

Stopping next to a fallen biker, Mayberry roughly hauled him to his feet and pressed one of his guns to his head. "Hey!" he shouted over. "Drop your weapons and back away from the kids, or this man dies!"

The bikers immediately whirled to face him, looking horrified. Almost in unison, they threw down their guns and shuffled away from Sael and Elyan.

"Now gather up all the others and get out of here," Mayberry ordered. "Go on, do it!"

"B-but we can't leave," the lead biker protested. "Ganondorf said-"

"I don't care what Ganondorf said!" Mayberry replied furiously. "You're dealing with me now, not him! GO!"

Shaken, the bikers split up and started helping up their fallen comrades. Once all of them had been accounted for, they slowly began to file out of the building, unnoticed by the dueling heroes and villains. Mayberry watched them go, releasing his hostage after a moment and letting him hobble towards the others.

He turned to Sael and Elyan. "You two okay?"

Elyan nodded. "We're fine." He looked around the room. "What do we do now?"

"We take out that gate," Mayberry answered. "The bikers are all gone and Ganondorf and the others are all occupied. We need to move now before we miss this chance. Follow behind me and _stay down_."

The three of them crouched behind the piles of detritus and headed off in a straight line, making their way towards the giant silver gate.

* * *

"Come on!" Samus pulled out a bomb, hitting Bowser with it. The explosion ripped her out of Bowser's grasp, sending Samus sprawling. She leaped to her feet once more. "You have to have _some_ reasoning for why you act the way you do. Or are you worse than Wario?"

"Ganondorf said this world needs a good kicking," Bowser said. "A revamp that will make it perfect."

"You think it's going to get one from him?" Samus demanded. "He's just power hungry."

"How can you say that when you know him less than you know me?" Bowser shot back. He folded his arms, waiting for an answer.

"His actions show well enough what he's like!" Samus said. "Innocent people get killed whenever Ganondorf makes a grab for power and Link tries to stop him."

"How do you know that's Ganondorf's fault?" Bowser said. "Link seems a bit sword-happy to _me._"

Samus pulled back the visor on her helmet so she could stare incredulously at Bowser. "How can you say that with a straight face? Do you know how much it hurts Link to end a life?"

"I don't see that when I see him. Do you see how well Ganondorf takes care of his own?" Bowser shot back.

"Yeah, I see how he takes care of them," said Samus sarcastically. "He abandons them to their fates."

"He called the retreat of the bikers."

"He sent them out in the first place, knowing full well that they were no match for us. We forced them to surrender, but we might not have; they _were_ trying to kill us. For another thing, they served him out of fear that he would kill them if they didn't. Allies willing to risk their lives is one thing. Coercion is another."

Bowser sighed in exasperation. "Why are we talking about them in the first place?"

"Good point," Samus said. "We were talking about _you_. Why do we always have to fight? If the three of you made an effort, we could do so much good together, especially you. You know how happy that would make Peach. She's always been so upset that you, her friend, are always fighting the man she loves."

"Don't bring Peach into this," Bowser snarled, stepping forward and taking a swing at Samus.

Samus stepped neatly backwards, avoiding his claws. "Why not? Because she makes you feel bad about the things you've done? Everyone has those people, and you're lucky - she's willing to forgive you. She's alive and doesn't hate your guts."

Link was making his way towards Samus, driven steadily back by a flurry of rapid blows from Ganondorf. Noticing his plight, Samus whirled and fired a rocket at Ganondorf. The split second it took for the man to dodge allowed Link to lock their swords and rip Ganondorf's out of his hands, sending it flying.

As Ganondorf located his sword, Link pulled the mirror out of his hat. A swirl of green magic raced up his arm and lit the surface of the mirror up. He handed it to Samus. "I heard your conversation. This might help." He proceeded to race after Ganondorf.

"A mirror?" Bowser laughed derisively. "What's that supposed to do?"

Samus gazed into the surface, seeing Peach's face reflected in it. "More than you think. Maybe bringing Peach into this is exactly what you need..."

She heard Zelda and Mewtwo's voices ringing through her mind. _Hold out the mirror! We'll see what we can do._

Samus turned the mirror around so the reflective face was turned towards Bowser and held it in one outstretched hand.

_This will feel a bit strange... _Zelda warned.

Samus was filled with Zelda's magic, helped and shaped by Mewtwo's power. Her eyes closed and she gasped. It burned through her limbs like white-hot fire, then drained away and was gone.

She heard Bowser inhale sharply. When she opened her eyes, a transparent image of Peach hung in the air between them. Peach looked around, shocked, at the chaos, then turned her face to Bowser. _"Hello..."_ She seemed shy.

"I didn't know you could make false illusions," Bowser spat at Samus. "Who taught you? Zelda? Mewtwo?"

_"It's really me, Bowser," _Peach said. _"Zelda and Mewtwo created a spell that allows us to talk to Samus, Link and Mario through the mirror. They just furthered it so I could speak to you like this. It's really me."_

"Prove it," Bowser said mistrustfully.

Peach walked over to speak quietly to Bowser, something for his ears alone. Bowser blinked. "Oh. It is you."

Peach smiled softly, sadly. _"Samus tells me you're enemies again. You do so much fighting... do you think it will ever be over?"_

Bowser sighed. "I don't know."

_"What is it about this time?" _Peach asked. _"Do you have a goal of some sort? Or is it just... hatred again?"_ The pain on her face hit even Samus like a knife, she who knew all too well about the hurt Peach hid.

"Ganondorf wants to change this world. It's so flawed, and in a position of power it would be simple to change things."

_"How would you do that?" _Peach asked.

"I'm... not really sure," Bowser admitted. "Once this is over, Ganondorf says he'll explain the next steps of his plan.".

The sound of a familiar voice brought Mario to a halt, the plumber turning around to gaze incredulously at his beloved princess. "Peach?"

"What's she doin' here?" Wario exclaimed, his eyes narrowing.

Peach turned. _"Hi, Mario. Hello, Wario. Zelda and Mewtwo made the mirror into a projector so I could speak to you all. I hear you're fighting again."_

Mario nodded, the shock and joy on his face fading into contemplative sadness. "We just can't-a seem to stop-a the fighting."

"We'd _stop_ if dese idiots would get outta our way," Wario said snidely.

"But we can't-a let you harm-a this world." Mario replied.

"Ganondorf has some big plans for dis place, buddy! We ain't just trying ta gain power, we're gonna fix dis world up!" Wario declared.

Link, who had locked Ganondorf's sword once again in his own and was using every ounce of his strength and determination to force the larger man back, stopped in his tracks. "Fix this world? Through a hostile takeover?"

Ganondorf nodded. "As you see, you have thrown yourself against me out of sheer habit, without taking the time to find out whether there is a method to my perceived madness."

Link shook his head. "It can't work that way. To change a troubled world, you have to change the people."

"Would a change of ruler not change these people?" Ganondorf raised an eyebrow.

"That's true," Link said, "But they'd only change because they were afraid of you. The moment you were overthrown, or died, or left, they would revert back to what they were. To change a society like this, you have to show the people what they're doing wrong and get them to _care_. When the people of a world care, that's when changes happen."

"So we are mortal enemies simply because of one ideological difference?" Ganondorf scoffed. "My method would obtain results, both in Hyrule and here."

"No," said Link. "We're enemies because I don't like your methods. When you coerce and threaten and force to make good change happen, nothing good can come of it."

_"But you don't have to be enemies!" _Peach interrupted. _"The Hands made you fight. But they're gone now! None of us have to fight anymore. Please! Why do you do it?"_

"I want to protect people," Link said. "Life is a special and sacred thing, and I want to make sure that people can live their lives happy and safe. I fight Ganondorf because he doesn't value life at all. He treats everyone as mere tokens to accomplish his ends. Ganondorf thinks his goals are so grand that taking lives is worth it. They aren't. Few goals are."

"I wish to create change," Ganondorf said. "Those who have the power to change the universe for the better should not hesitate in using it. And I wish to point out that you take life as well."

"I take life in order to stay alive," Link said. "I'm not proud of it, and I do it as little as possible. I kill only those who I cannot stop."

Ganondorf sighed "I really do not believe that this group therapy session is benefiting anyone. Perhaps we should resume the fight, to better end it quickly."

_"Please? I want to know. Perhaps understanding each others' motives can help stop the fighting." _Peach looked to Mario. _"How about you?"_

"I just-a want peace." Mario shrugged. "They're always a-fighting and trying to hurt-a the people here. I just-a want them to stop. It's-a not such a lofty goal, but that's-a what I want."

_"Samus?" _Peach asked, walking in midair to her friend's side.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. I do what I believe is right, and I want to defend my friends. The other Samus didn't have too many of those. I do, and I'll do what I have to, to keep them safe and alive." Samus took off her helmet to look around the group.

_"How about you, Wario?" _Peach walked over to where Wario stood, the Super Scope Seven at his side. _"Would you explain why you do these things?"_

"Me?" Wario grinned. "Dat's easy. I like it, is all."

"You _like_ it?" Link asked incredulously. "You _like_ being evil? Do you have no heart?"

"Oh, _spare_ me, fairy boy," Wario groaned irritably. "You heroic types are all da same. 'Why do ya do this? Don't ya realize dat yer wrong? Ya should be good like us!' I'm _different _dan ya, get me? I like robbin', swindlin' and de occasional murder just as much as ya like savin' da world and gettin' da girl. It's just how I am.

"Of course, I wasn't always like dat," Wario reflected. "When I was a kid, I got caught once and was thrown in da slammer. While I was in dere, I got ta dinkin' 'bout my life and how I didn't wanna spend most of it in dere. After all, I had a brother ta take care of."

"Brother?" Bowser exclaimed in surprise. "You never told us you had a brother."

Wario made a dismissive gesture. "Eh, we 'aven't bin close fer awhile now. His name's Waluigi. Nice guy. He always looked up ta me and tried ta act like me, but his heart wasn't in it. All he ever really wanted ta do was play sports. I'm not really into dat, so we fell outta touch."He paused. "Where was I? Oh yeah. I was dinkin' 'bout goin' straight. Once I got out, I set up my own bizness makin' micro-games."

"What's a micro-game?" Samus asked confusedly.

"Dey're dese little boxes, 'bout dis size," Wario explained, making a crude box-shape with his hands. "Each one has a little game in it, takes less dan a minute to play. Perfect fer guys like me wiv low attention spans. Dey started sellin' really well, and I expanded. Coupla weeks later, and I'm workin' wiv an entire team of micro-game makers. Man, I loved dose guys. Jimmy T, Mona, Ashley, Mike…dey were my best friends in da world back den. For awhile, I was happy."

"So what happened?" Link asked.

Wario looked a little sad. "I got bored. It just wasn't as fun as bein' on da wrong side of da law. One day, I packed up my stuff and left without tellin' anybody. I moved to anudder city and went back ta doin' what I do best." He shrugged. "I gotta be me. Dat's all it is, really. Even if I am a no-good scumbag, dat's just da way I am. Dere's no point in tryin' ta change me."

Peach moved back to Bowser. _"Bowser, what about you?"_

Bowser didn't say anything.

_"Bowser, I want to understand. Maybe if I know why you keep doing these things... I don't know. Perhaps we can stop this fight and find a way to make everyone happy." _Peach's voice was pleading. _"You don't like hurting people. Why are you doing it?"_

"These goals of Ganondorf's will get you nowhere," Link said. "He makes them sound good, but they only end in pain for everyone. That's why the goddesses oppose him."

"Then why do I always return?" Ganondorf snapped.

"Zelda and I also return to stop you every time," Link replied.

"Without your memories," Ganondorf shot back.

"But our hearts are the same!" Link's voice rose. "That is what matters."

_"Please!" _Peach said. _"Bowser, do you know why you do the things you do?"_

"We all fessed up," Wario said. "Do ya just not want to tell Peach that ya think it's fun too?"

"That's the last thing I'd say," Bowser snarled.

_"If you chose to... things could return to the way they used to be." _Peach smiled. _"We could have peace. If we just worked together, I know we could change things!"_

"Trying to change things without pain is ridiculous. With change comes blood." Ganondorf's voice was firm. "Who else is going to help this world if not us?"

"Helping it? You could do that a thousand other ways," Link shot back.

"You're as naive as that princess," Ganondorf said. "Bowser, surely you've seen the condition of this land, our land on our own world, and the parts of the Mushroom Kingdom where princesses are not permitted to go. Life is not that simple."

_"We could change all of those things," _Peach said. _"Please... I don't want my friends to fight like this any longer. You have to stop!"_

"I'm-a only fighting you when you-a hit first," Mario said. "Peach is-a right."

_"Just come home," _Peach said, her voice growing desperate. _"ROB has created a miniature portal device - we can find you and bring you home. It's small and doesn't even need another gate at the other end, so we could come and get you all right here!"_

"We are far too close to success to halt now," Ganondorf stated. "Do not let her sentiment and empty words make you forget that, Bowser."

"What kind of success?" Link interrupted. "A success that will leave this world in pieces with any chance of change gone?"

"You gonna give up all dis work dat we did?" Wario put in.

_"Please," _Peach said. _"Just come home! We can work something out, I promise! Please... I don't want you to fight anymore. Doesn't it hurt you to do this?"_

"Look, I know Peach," Samus tried desperately to support her friend's arguments. "We both know her well. If she says she'll figure out something she won't stop until she does. She told me how you used to be such good friends. Please, listen to her!"

"Pay no attention!" Ganondorf thundered. "Your place is with us, at our side!"

"_Bowser, come back,"_ Peach pleaded. _"We can make all of this right again."_

"Bowser!"

"Bowser!"

"_Bowser!"_

In a sudden move, Bowser threw back his head and gave a deafening roar. Everyone fell silent.

"You don't know me! You don't know _ANYTHING!_" Bowser yelled. "You have _no idea_ what I've been through! _NO IDEA! _None of you know what my life has been like and why I stand where I do! I've gone too far over to come back, don't you see? I can't be anything but a villain now! Stop using Peach to try to change that!" He whirled around and slapped the mirror out of Samus' hands.

There was a tinkle of glass on the floor as the mirror shattered to pieces.

The image of Peach collapsed to the ground, crying desperately. _"Just... stop..."_ She collapsed to the floor, and the image started to flicker. Peach looked around fearfully. _"What... Zelda! Mewtwo! Help me!"_

Link raced over and grabbed the frame of the mirror. A moment later, the shattered glass blossomed with Zelda's magic and the image of Peach disappeared.

"You almost put her into a coma from which she would never return." Link looked solemnly at Bowser.

"Smart one!" Samus yelled angrily. "Nearly killing Peach."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Bowser flung himself at Samus again.

The fighting resumed, over the shattered pieces of the mirror and the very real tears on the floor.

* * *

Sael peered over the top of a piece of rubble, watching the spectacle in front of the gate. "What's going on?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Mayberry replied to her from over his shoulder. "They were all arguing about something, and then they started fighting again."

"Are we close enough to the gate yet?" Elyan asked.

"Hard to say," Mayberry answered. "I can see most of it from here, but the guy with the gun is blocking the – oh, he moved!"

In one swift motion, Mayberry lifted up his handgun, took careful aim, and fired off two shots.

Both bullets bounced off of the gate, not even managing to nick the paint.

Mayberry cursed. "Damnit, it's bulletproof. Ganondorf really went all out with this thing."

"What do we do now?" Sael questioned.

"Keep moving. We'll figure something out," Mayberry answered.

The trio resumed their slow progress towards the gate.

* * *

The gate abruptly stopped humming, leaving an almost deafening silence in its wake.

Link briefly glanced over from where he was locked in combat with Ganondorf. "What is that?"

Ganondorf's eyes lit up. "At last, the gate is at full power!" he proclaimed triumphantly, knocking the distracted Link to the ground with a powerful strike of his sword. Moving away from his fallen foe, Ganondorf strode quickly and purposefully over to the gate, halting near the console attached to the side. He began to type out the activation procedure, his fingers a blur upon the keys.

"And with this stroke-" Ganondorf shouted, raising up his hand to punch the final keystroke in.

"NO!" Mario, Link, and Samus yelled.

"YES!" Bowser and Wario answered, Wario's gleeful tone contrasting sharply with Bowser's flat and determined roar.

"-It all ends!" Ganondorf finished, slamming his hand down on the console.

There was a second of utter stillness.

* * *

_**Now.**_

* * *

A large white sphere of energy suddenly blossomed into existence, rapidly expanding in size with currents of air swirling around it.

"What's going on?" Bowser shouted over the howl of the wind. "Is this supposed to happen?"

"I am unsure," Ganondorf said loudly back. "I do not believe that merely accessing Hyrule should be quite so…" He trailed off, staring at the display on the console. "What? That cannot be right."

"What is it?" Wario yelled, clutching his hat to his head with his free hand to prevent it from blowing away.

"The gate…is not linked to Hyrule," Ganondorf shouted, the slightest of tremors in his voice betraying his confusion. "I was utterly sure that I inputted the correct coordinates…"

"What world _did_ you link it to?" Bowser questioned as loud as he could, the steadily rising roar of the wind almost completely drowning him out.

"The console states that the parameters of the world are continually shifting and preventing the gate from identifying which world it is," Ganondorf bellowed. "It is as if…the world is being _created_ as the gate is attempting to link to it."

Any further conversation was entirely blocked out by the piercing howl of the wind. The sphere was growing alarmingly large, pieces of debris detaching from the piles on the ground and flying inside it from the sheer amount of suction it was producing.

The sphere continued to expand, enveloping the gate completely and growing higher through the empty space where the ceiling used to be. Cables of white energy sporadically emanated from the sphere, lashing out and sparking against anything they touched.

And still, it grew.

* * *

Zeke was seated comfortably in his chair, phone in hand and his feet up on his desk. "No, no, I getcha, I getcha," he said reassuringly into the receiver. "You want to protect your investments. Perfectly understandable. It's just that cops have a tendency to get involved when you break a guy's arms _and_ legs and leave him hanging from a seventh story window by his-"

_krakoom!_

The sudden noise made Zeke turn to look out the window. His mouth dropped open and he briefly forgot all about the man on the other end of the line as he beheld the glowing sphere in the distance, rising out of the detention center like some great monster emerging from the underworld.

_If that isn't connected to all the weird stuff Sam's been investigating, I'll eat my shoes,_ Zeke thought to himself. The realization hit him in a flash. _Oh crap,_ _Sam's probably near that thing right now! He could be in trouble!_

The faint buzzing in his ear reminded Zeke that he was still holding the phone. "Uh, I'm going to have to call you back," he said numbly. Ignoring the protests on the other end of the line, he replaced the phone in its cradle, promptly bolting from his desk and running out of his office.

* * *

Sael's stepmother and father silently watched a television report broadcasting the sudden appearance of the sphere, the newscasters speculating on whether or not it was connected to the recent terrorist attacks. Without taking her eyes from the screen, Sael's stepmother reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, dialing a number.

"Mr. Jenison?" she said shakily into the phone. "Turn on your TV. I think you'll want to see this…"

* * *

Standing on top of a skyscraper, Mr. A watched the sphere grow, his face solemn.

"So," he said aloud, "you've made your move at last. I can only hope I was not too late."

His trenchcoat flapped in the breeze as he continued to stare at the white sphere.

* * *

The sphere had now filled three-fourths of the room. Bigger fragments of debris were being sucked inside of it, along with pieces of concrete that were forcibly ripped from the walls and floor.

Ganondorf, Bowser, Wario, Mario, Link, Samus, Mayberry, Sael, and Elyan were all holding on to whatever they could, desperately trying to stay out of the increasingly powerful slipstream.

Mayberry, gripping onto a protruding chunk of a wall, chanced a look downward. He was not surprised to find his legs hovering in midair with no support, the suction of the sphere insistently pulling him towards it. The Super Scope Seven flew past him, twirling and spinning in the wind.

_Not to self, _Mayberry thought, _I will never say "Now I've seen everything" again. There is _always _something stranger._

With a cry of alarm, Sael lost her grip on her part of the wall and was lifted into the air, shooting towards the sphere and disappearing inside it.

"SAEL!" Elyan cried out, letting go of the part of the floor he was holding onto and following her into the sphere.

The Smashers were soon taken as well, slipping from their handholds one by one and flying inside the still growing white orb.

Bowser and Ganondorf were next, their faces masks of agony as they attempted to fight the inexorable pull of the wind. Then they, too, were gone.

A stray piece of rubble knocked Wario from his perch, sending him into the void with the anguished cry of "Aw no, not agaaaaaaaaaaaaaaainnnnnn!"

Mayberry attempted to hold on for as long as he could, but the slipstream proved to be too much for his weakened fingers. With a sigh of defeat, he released his grip on the wall and let himself be carried inside the sphere.

As soon as Mayberry had completely passed through the gate, the white sphere abruptly disappeared, leaving only the gleaming, untouched silver gate among the twisted and fragmented remains of the detention center.

Silence reigned.

* * *

The Super Scope Seven was lying forgotten atop a pile of rubble when a shadow fell over it. Bending down, Devlin carefully brushed the dirt and dust off of the weapon and picked it up, examining it carefully.

"Yes, yes," he mumbled to himself, grinning maniacally. "This will do _perfectly_!"

Laughing, he retreated back into the shadows.

* * *

"The die has been cast."

-Julius Caesar

* * *

U92: It's not over yet, folks! The _real_ climax is on its way!

…I made Ganondorf say "Let's bring down the house".

I am _so_ going to hell.

There is something deeply hilarious about the fact that Samus and Bowser are able to maintain a well-spoken and well thought out debate on morality while trying to kill each other. Only Sue2.

It's strange how this chapter was originally meant to be just all-out action until the gate is activated, but ended up with quite a lot of dialogue. Not that I'm complaining, as it allowed us to do something we really haven't had a chance to do this fic: explore the villains' motivations. I wrote the scenes with Ganondorf and Wario, and Sue2 and I co-wrote the Bowser sequence. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to similar writing opportunities in the future.

Ganondorf's story came about after I started thinking about how often he's resurrected in the Zelda series while the supposedly all-powerful and good goddesses don't seem to do anything to stop it. Apply that point to Ganondorf's twisted worldview and boom! We have motivation!

Wario's story is a very rare case for me: a character who is literally all bad. If you haven't already figured it out by now, I like writing complex villains, bad guys with motives that you can understand and maybe even empathize with. Wario is the direct opposite of all that, so I tried to deepen his character in a different way by making him a guy who stays true to himself no matter how much he's told he has to change. For all his faults, Wario has a commitment to himself and his ideals that can't be shaken.

The tale of Wario's home life is my attempt to tie my Wario character, Waluigi, and the WarioWare games into one coherent narrative. Waluigi's love of sports and his nonviolent tendencies are a reference to the fact that he's never been in a mainstream Mario title, and all of Wario's mentioned friends are characters from WarioWare. (On a side note, I love the delightfully quirky cast of WarioWare. I could write an entire mini-series just detailing their daily interactions.)

Bowser's story is based on Sue2's inspired characterization of him as a fallen hero. Her Bowser started out as a fairly good person determined to protect the people he cares about, but gradually moved down the morality spectrum as his actions grew darker and darker. (His kidnappings of Peach? That's him trying to _save_ her from the threats that Mario and the Toads can't ward off.) Bowser is now convinced that he has crossed the line and is beyond hope of redemption. Seeing who was once a 2-D (no pun intended) villain transformed into a sad, lonely, antihero/antivillain figure is very powerful for me, and is in my opinion one of Sue2's best interpretations of an established character.

This chapter marks the first time all nine main characters have been in the same room. Interesting, isn't it?

I'm honestly surprised that no one seemed to see this chapter's plot twist coming when it was announced that the villains were building their own gate. A favorite literary trope of mine is the concept of "book ends", the usage of identical or similar events and locations near the beginning and end of a story. Having what happened to the Smashers in Chapter One happen to them _again_ felt like closing a circle for me, and seemed to be a fitting sign that the end was near.

I'll bet a lot of you think you know exactly where everyone is going to end up and who's taking them there. Just letting you know right now, you are most likely **completely wrong**. Let the speculation continue!

I promise we won't leave you hanging as long as we did last time, but seeing as finals are coming up it may be a few weeks before we can update again. For now, we'll just sit back and watch the feedback.

Sue2: Alright! THAT was fun. The mental image is great: the fighting stopping and everything going quiet as the people who were a few seconds ago beating seven kinds of crap out of each other stop, stand in a circle, and argue morality. That makes my day.

I had fun with Samus and Bowser's little morality argument. It just struck me as something that would bother Samus, when you think about the people she's friends with. Who's side is Bowser on anyway, and why? I'm very, very pleased that Ultiman likes my Bowser. I like him a lot, and hope you do too.

What do you think: is Bowser a lost cause? Mario believes it in a sad kind of way, but Peach doesn't. Is he redeemable?

Well, I'm pumped for the next chapter? Is anyone else?

REVIEW!


	22. Mastermind

U92: Hello again! Hope you got your fill of action last chapter, because this one's all characters talking! Lots and lots and lots of talking. But hey, at least most of it is important plot exposition in the form of a story!

Warning: the events of Sue2's fic Unity are referenced in this chapter. If you haven't read that story, don't worry if you start to feel lost.

This is it, people. The WhamEpisode. The chapter in which all is revealed. The moment you've been waiting for starts now!

Sue2: Well, here we go. This chapter is all the information that Ultiman and I have been trading back and forth over the past while. The BIG REVEAL. It's all talk, and really Unity figures a lot in it. (I warn you if you're going to read it: It's NOT AS GOOD as New World! Forgive me, I was crap then!) (U92: She's lying, it's a good story!) But here we go!

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-One-

_Mastermind_

* * *

-**World: New World**-

The first thing Mayberry became aware of was a feeling of dampness in his right shoe.

With considerable effort, he opened his eyes and rolled over from his facedown position, staring at his legs. The damp shoe in question was dipped in a pool of water a few inches from him, the end of his pant leg completely submerged. Lifting his leg, Mayberry moved it back over to dry land, shaking as much of the excess moisture off as he could.

Mayberry slowly got to his feet, assessing his surroundings. He appeared to be standing on the walkway of a large open garden, sparsely populated with flowers and trees in short lines. The middle of the garden featured the pool his foot had been in, a small, narrow, rectangular bed of water that extended the entire length of the garden area. Patches of grass were laid out in a square pattern on either side of the pool, dividing the garden into numerous avenues of grass, trees, and flowers surrounded by raised walkways. Mayberry was on the main walkway to the right of the pool, his gaze now wandering to the building at the far edge of the garden.

The structure was a majestic white marble building, towering over the rest of the garden on a raised plinth. Every side appeared to be composed of several small arches surrounding one larger arch, offering views of the ornate architecture visible within them. The top of the structure was marked by an enormous onion-shaped dome with two smaller rounded domes on its left and right. Four minaret towers were grouped around the building, two on either side.

The strange purple tint on everything made it somewhat hard for Mayberry to identify what he was looking at, though the distinctive shape of the building eventually clicked in his mind.

"The Taj Mahal?" he wondered aloud. "I'm in India?"

"Depends," Wario's voice replied from behind him. "Is da sky in India normally as freaky as dat?"

Mayberry looked up. His jaw dropped.

The sky was a swirling mix of colors, shading everything beneath it with continuously shifting hues. White, purple, and black were the most visible colors, while hints of red and blue could also be seen.

Mayberry said two words, one of them being "holy".

"Language, Detective," Ganondorf scolded, striding into Mayberry's field of vision to shoot him a stern look. "There are children present." He indicated the walkway on the other side of the pool, where Elyan was helping Sael to her feet.

Mayberry stared at the two of them, having just now noticed their presence. "You, those kids…did _everyone_ end up here?" he questioned.

"See for yourself." Ganondorf pointed over Mayberry's shoulder.

Turning around, Mayberry saw that everyone who had been present in the warehouse was there. Mario and Samus were slowly ambling along one of the walkways, their heads frequently turning as they took in their new environment. Link was up in a tree, attempting to wrest the Master Sword and his shield from a high branch. Bowser and Wario were right next to Mayberry, their necks craned back as they stared up at the sky.

"Man, I could watch dis _all day_," Wario commented.

"Tell me about it," Bowser replied. "This is just _bizarre_."

Mayberry shook his head, totally lost. "What happened? Is this your world?"

"Hardly," Ganondorf answered with a small scoff. "The gate appears to have had a slight…malfunction. I am at a loss as to what world this is or even if it is a world in the traditional sense. All I do know is that all my plans are now rendered moot in light of this recent development." He coughed awkwardly, averting his eyes. "Given our abrupt change in circumstances, perhaps a…truce would be in order until we acquire a method of returning to our respective worlds?"

"You want to go back home now?" Mayberry asked skeptically. "What happened to conquering Earth and making it perfect?"

"A foolish ambition that I should have seen was beneath me," Ganondorf sighed. "I am tired of your world, Detective, tired of its chaos, inefficiency, and unpredictability. My only wish now is to return to the order and routine of the Smash World, and I believe Bowser and Wario would agree."

"Well…alright, then," Mayberry said. "Truce."

"Excellent," Ganondorf declared. "Bowser, Wario, please inform the others of our new arraignment."

Wario and Bowser reluctantly tore their gazes from the psychedelic sky and headed towards Mario, Link, Samus, Sael, and Elyan, who had also come together to discuss the situation.

"Instruct them to follow us the instant you are done!" Ganondorf called back to them, walking up to Mayberry. "Shall we explore, Detective?"

"Might as well," Mayberry replied, falling into step next to him.

* * *

The three Smashers reacted instantly when they saw Bowser and Wario approaching. Link whipped out his sword, Samus aimed her arm cannon, and Mario lit up his hands. Elyan had left the gun elsewhere, and raised his fists instead. Sael had the mallet by her side, and her arm tensed.

"Relax," said Bowser. "We're declaring a truce for now."

"Whaddaya take us fer? We ain't stupid enough ta fight ya when none of us got any idea where we are or how dangerous it is." Wario shrugged.

The three Smashers turned flat stares on him. "What do you call the events on Earth, then?" Samus asked.

"Alright," Bowser conceded. He didn't feel like getting into another argument, fully aware that the trio would not accept their actions no matter the circumstances. Ganondorf had been right when he said they were all tired. "If that's your view, then let's say we're not stupid enough to do it _twice._"

"We gotta find out what dis place is," Wario said. "Ganondorf told us ta come get ya. He also says he's sick o' Earth, and soon as he gets the chance he wants ta get home."

"He let go of that plan really easily." Samus said.

"Mm." Link nodded. "Perhaps he realized how much work it would take was more than the benefits it would cause. It makes sense. I just wish he'd decided that a little earlier. Zelda said that she and the others could have come and brought us back, but the mirror's broken now." He looked at Bowser.

Bowser snorted, sending him a venomous look.

"Calm down." Link held up a hand. "We're not fighting here, remember?"

"So what's-a going to happen now?" Mario asked.

"I guess we're going exploring," Samus said.

Bowser and Wario nodded, leading the group towards Ganondorf and Mayberry.

"So much fighting. It's all so unnecessary..." Link's voice was thoughtful and sad. "All the bloodshed didn't help anything at all, did it?"

Samus put a hand on her friend's shoulder. She had known Link and Mario before this whole adventure, but not like this.

"We did-a our best," Mario said with a sad smile.

Link took a deep breath, his back straightening. "Yeah. And moping about it now won't do anything." He looked at Bowser and Wario. "How long is this truce going to last? Just until we're out of here?"

They shrugged. "Dunno," said Wario. "Whaddaya think?"

"You caused a lot of blood, pain and death on Earth," Samus said, frowning. "Do you expect us to just leave you to do it again?"

"Something tells me this truce won't last," Elyan said softly, sadly. The entire group looked drained by the constant struggle. They were all clearly showing what they had worked so hard to hide from each other - how much the struggle hurt all of them. _But that's not going to change anything either,_ Elyan thought. _Even though they all hurt no one's going to give in._

* * *

Ganondorf and Mayberry moved down the walkway, heading towards the outer red building that marked the entrance to the Taj Mahal. Mayberry peered at the far-off archway, attempting to make out the faint shapes that were visible inside the arch.

"What do you see, Detective?" Ganondorf inquired.

"Not much," Mayberry answered, frowning. "Looks like there's some large brick wall just outside the entrance. That's odd."

"Is there not meant to be such a construct in that location?"

"Well, there isn't one near the Taj Mahal on Earth," said Mayberry, glancing up at him. "But we don't seem to be on Earth, so I have no idea what to expect."

"Hmm," Ganondorf mused. "A fair point."

Behind him, the sounds of low conversation could be heard, the others catching up to them as fast as they could while still maintaining a comfortable walking speed.

* * *

"Elyan, I have to apologize for something," Sael said quietly.

"Huh? Apologize?" Elyan blinked at her.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "I've been completely useless this entire time. All I've done is cry and get hurt and get in trouble and depend on you. I'm sorry."

Elyan smiled. "Don't worry about it. When you love someone, protecting them is never a burden."

Sael looked solemnly at him. "I've been kind of lost, since I don't understand emotions well enough yet. Because my place in that world expected me to understand things I didn't, I screwed up way too many times. Ignorance and unwillingness to learn was what wrecked me and everything around me. But here I'll do better."

"Huh?" Elyan asked, incredulous. "Here? We don't know where we are and there could be monsters around every corner!"

"Yeah," she nodded firmly. "All we have to do here is stay alive and get home. There's no tangled emotional bits and not so many grays, as long as I stay out of the morality discussions. So you won't need to protect me. I can't say I'll be perfect but I'll do my best. Just watch me."

Elyan smiled again.

* * *

Mayberry stopped just outside the entrance to the Taj Mahal, staring up at the structure in front of him. Without the red building to block his view, the brick wall was revealed as a small fragment of a building, resting on the ground as though it had been forcibly ripped from its original edifice.

Ganondorf stepped closer to the fragment, resting his hand against the brick and mortar of the wall fragment. "I have seen this before," he murmured. "It is very similar to – no, it is _exactly _the same as the walls from the Temple of Time. Could it be…?" Ganondorf paused, looking off to the left.

In the distance was an imposing ornate castle with a piece missing from one of its walls.

"It is," Ganondorf breathed. "The Temple of Time. How extraordinary."

"That's not all," Mayberry said from behind him. "Look over here."

Ganondorf did so, and promptly blinked in surprise.

Landmarks of all shapes and sizes littered the earth as far as the eye could see. Some of them were listing at odd angels, overbalancing from an apparent lack of center of gravity, while others had small chunks torn away from them in various locations, the missing segments visible on the ground. Every one of them was covered in a purplish tint from the sky.

By this point, the others had caught up to the two of them and were staring at the scattered buildings and structures with a collective mixture of awe, disbelief, and confusion.

"That looks like Peach's castle over there," observed Samus. "I can also see Chozo ruins, an F-Zero track, the Fountain of Dreams…"

"Mount Rushmore, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Sydney Opera House…" Mayberry cut in. "And this is just what we can see."

"Just what is all of dis, anyway?" asked Wario.

"_**A very good question deserving of an answer,"**_ a voice behind him boomed. _**"I will be happy to oblige."**_

The group spun around simultaneously, their weapons raised.

A gleaming figure was slowly descending towards the ground, standing upright with its arms crossed over its chest. It wore a pristine white suit complete with matching shoes and gloves, with a silver cape draped over its shoulders and clasped together at its neck with a shiny round brooch. The being's skin was made of the same silky white material as its suit, its head smooth and featureless like a mannequin. A thin paper mask rested where a face would be, having rounded eye holes, a slight protrusion for a nonexistent nose, and a mouth opened in a thin smile, with only bare white skin showing behind it.

"_**Oh, my children,"**_ it said consolingly, clasping its hands together and shaking its head sorrowfully as it touched the ground. _**"My poor, lost children. So far from home and without anyone to guide you, and yet here you are. Words cannot describe how proud I am at this moment."**_

"…Who are you again?" Bowser asked, scratching his head confusedly.

The being looked taken aback for a moment, the mouth slit in its mask morphing into an "O" shape as comprehension dawned on it. _**"Ah, yes! Of course. Forgive me; I had forgotten that none of you know me in my rush to congratulate you. I suppose introductions are in order."**_ It drew itself up to its full height. _**"My name is Mastermind. I am your creator."**_

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Wario stepped forward. "Uh, hate ta break it ta ya, pal," he said uncertainly. "but ya got da wrong guys. Master Hand an' Crazy Hand made us, not you."

Mastermind's smile grew. _**"I never said that was false, did I?"**_

The group discreetly exchanged puzzled glances with each other.

"His gloves," Link broke in, his voice shaking as he stared directly at Mastermind's hands. "Look at his gloves!"

Mastermind obligingly raised his white gloved hands for all to see. _**"You have figured it out, I see,"**_ he said approvingly. _**"I am the true form of Master Hand and Crazy Hand."**_

It was as though a dam had burst. Everyone began talking at once, yelling out questions, shouting accusations, and hurling denials at him, the emotional reactions of the group ranging from disbelief to complete and utter bafflement. Mayberry was the only one silent, having lost track of what was going on awhile ago.

"_**Please, calm yourselves,"**_ Mastermind said just loud enough to be heard over the commotion. _**"I will explain everything."**_

The group reluctantly quieted down, putting away their weapons as they began to listen to what he had to say.

"_**There are many different names given to when and where I was born,"**_ Mastermind reflected. _**"The Mushroom Kingdom calls it The Great Beginning, in Hyrule it is known as The Goddesses' Gift, and to Earthlings it is the Big Bang. The fires of the birth of reality brought me into being, a mere minor consciousness without form. The first thought I ever had was how frightened I was by the roaring chaos around me, and how much I wanted to get away from all of it. Almost instantaneously, I found myself in a dark, empty pocket dimension that had appeared from out of nowhere. I was confused by the sudden change of scenery, but very pleased with the peace and serenity that my new home had.**_

"_**This act would mark the first time I ever used my powers, albeit subconsciously. In creating a haven for myself, I unintentionally formed the center of the multiverse that was to come, the linchpin for every universe in existence."**_ Mastermind paused, his head tilted slightly as he searched for the right words. _**"Think of a flower. The universes are like petals, and my dimension is the base that connects them all. The properties of this dimension would prove to have a significant impact on my evolution.**_

"_**Creating a dimensional bubble at the heart of the multiverse had unexpected advantages, as I soon learned. When I eventually grew bored with the emptiness of my dimension, I created a hole in the dimensional wall to see what was on the other side. I was immediately besieged with a torrent of images and sounds from inside the hole, overlapping each other in a chaotic cacophony. Attempting to get the unbearable noise out of my head, I abruptly found myself staring at just one image, that of a newly formed planet, and hearing the little background noise it had. I was enchanted.**_

"_**I had discovered the power of the properties of my dimension. Tearing holes in the fabric of space-time allowed me to look into the multiverse, giving me the ability to see any point in any universe at any given time. I spent millions upon millions of years amusing myself by watching as universes grew and adapted. Then, one day, I observed signs of life on a planet for the first time, and everything changed. **_

"_**Never before had I even considered that there might be anything else in existence that was like me. I watched life emerge from the primordial stews with utter fascination, eagerly taking in the gradual diversification of species and the continuing march of evolution. Several more million years passed, and I started to notice that the beings I observed were becoming more different than what I was used to. They performed rituals, communicated with each other, and created their own forms of culture. I was lost as to what they were doing, and studied them more closely to decipher the meanings behind their actions. My intelligence slowly increased as I learned alongside them, full self-awareness emerging only a few thousand years before now. After a great deal of thought over the matter, I gave myself the name Mastermind and subsequently named my dimension the Master World, permanently establishing my identity as a being of strength and intelligence.**_

"_**It was at that moment of self-realization that I became aware of the power that I had. With a single thought, I could do anything: bring living beings and inanimate objects in and out of existence, reshape matter as I saw fit, not to mention my ability to see into other universes. There appeared to be nothing that I could not do."**_

"So you're God?" Mayberry asked, his voice cracking.

Mastermind looked puzzled. _**"Well, I do possess powers that could be considered godlike, but whether or not I am an actual god is open to your interpretation. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure myself if I am a god."**_

"That's not what I meant!" Mayberry exclaimed impatiently. "I wasn't asking if you were _a_ god, I was asking if you were _the_ God!"

Mastermind nodded in understanding. _**"Ah, I see. You are referring to the omniscient figure who is worshiped on your world. The answer is no. If that being exists, I am not him." **_

_I'm not sure whether to be relieved or terrified by that,_ Mayberry thought numbly. 

Hearing no complaints or protests, Mastermind resumed his story. _**"Realizing that I had the power to give myself anything I wanted, I suddenly became aware of my lack of purpose in the multiverse. I had been born with no one watching over me, no one telling me what to do. I found myself in possession of the ultimate power with no idea what to do with it.**_

"_**To take my mind off my problem, I returned to watching other universes, hoping that my newly heightened consciousness would allow me to enjoy what I saw even more. This was not the case. I started to notice flaws in the civilizations I viewed, acts of illogic that completely confused me. Incredibly, it seemed that none of these worlds were perfect."**_

Mario, Link, and Samus fidgeted nervously.

Sael and Elyan stared.

Mayberry raised an eyebrow.

Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario struggled to keep from laughing.

Mastermind plowed on, having not noticed any of these reactions._** "There were those in need who did not receive help. Wealth and resources were hoarded instead of sharing. Many chose to fight and insult each other rather than trying to understand them. Why, I wondered? Why was this happening? Were mortals simply incapable of living in harmony with one another? It was quite a depressing concept.**_

"_**I began to long for the existence of a utopia, a place where everyone is content, safe, and self-fulfilled. Such a place would not only be pleasing to watch, but would make all who chose to live there happy. It was so unjust that imperfection existed in every universe while a utopia was not in existence anywhere. If only someone would create one, I mused. The multiverse would be much better off if a utopia was within it.**_

"_**The obvious solution occurred to me almost instantly. I could do it! I could make a utopia! I was the perfect candidate for the job: having limitless power and endless amounts of free time. I immediately made it my mission to shape a perfect world, devoting the entire rest of my existence to this one cause. **_

"_**The question of where and how to begin now plagued me. Having no experience of coexisting with others myself, I decided to visit populated planets and ask them for advice on how to create a perfect society. In preparation for my journey, I constructed a variety of physical forms for myself to appear in, eventually settling on this body as an acceptable compromise between a humanoid and an inhuman creature. Giddy with anticipation, I left my dimension for the first time and set out on my journey.**_

"_**I explained my utopian plan and made my humble request for advice on numerous worlds, all of which would have nothing to do with me after hearing me speak. Disillusioned, I returned to the Master World and decided to simply use trial and error to figure out what worked in a perfect society. Creating a second dimension adjacent to the Master World, I started to build the world that would be my utopia, shaping matter and forging elements into a planetoid-like shape. Before I could complete the planet's formation, however, I was greeted by something I had never seen before: another person in one of my dimensions. His name was Abraxas Elohim.**_

"_**Abraxas was a mage from one of the first worlds that I visited. My utopian plan had apparently enraged him so much that he became determined to stop me by any means necessary. Using his magic, he had tracked me throughout every single one of the worlds I visited, ultimately ripping a hole in space-time and pursuing me inside the Master World. Abraxas seemed to be convinced that he could bring me down all by himself, and engaged me in combat. Amused, I decided to humor him for awhile.**_

"_**I held back my true strength for the most part during our battle, only unleashing a fraction of my true potential when I grew bored with the charade. Within no time at all, Abraxas was soundly defeated, lying spent and helpless before me. Thinking he had learned his lesson, I spared his life and allowed him to return to his homeworld in humiliation."**_ Mastermind sighed. _**"In retrospect, leaving him alive was probably my biggest mistake.**_

"_**Believing the whole matter to be over, I resumed work on my world. Years passed. My planet slowly matured, becoming more smooth and flawless every day. I started thinking over what kind of topography I wanted, specifically, what kind of balance there would be between a natural landscape and developed living areas. Just as I started work on a mountain range, Abraxas returned.**_

"_**I was mistaken in thinking that Abraxas' submission at my hands would be the end of his vendetta against me. Rather than give up and go back to his normal life, he had spent the intervening years preparing for a second attempt to defeat me, gathering up uniquely gifted, powerful, and intelligent individuals from different universes to form an army capable of stopping me. He had named this group Arcana Mejis, or "chosen heroes" in his people's tongue. A force twenty-three members strong now challenged me, a stark contrast to the ridiculously easy duel with Abraxas from before. This battle, at least, would be interesting. **_

"_**Underestimating them proved to be my second biggest mistake. Arcana Mejis had spent months preparing for this day, honing their skills and improving their strategies to near perfection. Abraxas had correctly assured his comrades that I would only try to injure them, not wound them, in an attempt to show them their place. With no reason to hold back, all of them charged me at once, sending many different spells, weapons, and bullets at me at the same time. Having to fend off assaults from all directions by moving targets, my attention became distracted enough for Abraxas to make his move. Summoning all his strength, he struck me with enough magical energy to sap my defenses within minutes and leave me completely weakened and vulnerable. The unthinkable had happened. I had lost.**_

"_**Fortune was still on my side, however. When Abraxas and the rest of Arcana Mejis attempted to deliver the final blow, they discovered that neither my body nor my consciousness could be destroyed. My defeat was only a temporary setback for me, as I could feel my strength beginning to return mere minutes after I had collapsed in exhaustion. Within hours I would be fully restored, able to wreak my vengeance and kill every last member of Arcana Mejis for shaming me like this.**_

"_**Just as it seemed that my attackers were backed into a corner, Abraxas managed to come up with a solution. If I could not be killed, I would be placed in a position where I could do the least amount of harm to the multiverse. Abraxas and the other magic users of Arcana Mejis placed a powerful enchantment on me, dividing my essence into the two simple creatures you call the Hands. The magicians finished the enchantment with a curse that bound me to the Master World, making me unable to leave my home dimension and create a utopia ever again. I was immediately transported back to the Master World, the molecules of my body dispersing and reforming as Master Hand and Crazy Hand. The last conscious thoughts I had before the transformation were my fervent desire to keep my original body, my hatred for Arcana Mejis, and my longing for a utopia. Little did I suspect that these stray thoughts would remain within the subconscious of the Hands.**_

"_**What happened next is uncertain. I assume that Arcana Mejis destroyed the dimension that contained my half-finished utopia, as I was never able to find it again. The Hands, meanwhile, grew bored with the empty Master World as quickly as I did and searched for something to amuse themselves. They quickly settled on the idea of gladiatorial games, liking the idea of having powerful warriors battle for them in a life-or-death struggle for survival. Examining worlds in other universes through the holes in the dimensional wall, the Hands quickly selected a sizeable roster of fighters to make replicas of, and attempted to create a world for them to duel each other on. However, they were unable to either make a planet inside the small space of the Master World or enter another pocket dimension and make the world there, due to the restrictions of the enchantment. Out of desperation, the Hands formed a small universe around the dimensional pocket of the Master World itself, establishing the world there. Using the dimensional holes to view their planet, the Hands used their powers to build their world from inside their prison, unconsciously shaping it much like the world I had made. The construction process was crude with the lack of direct involvement, but effective nonetheless. Their world, the Smash World, was complete in no time at all.**_

"_**The Hands then set about creating their warriors. All of them were forged from masses of energy creatures native to dimensional rifts, known to you as 'Shadow Bugs'. Given the spark of life by the Hands, they were perfect recreations of famed fighters from many different worlds, even sharing the same personalities and memories."**_ Mastermind looked fondly at Mario, Link, Samus, Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario. _**"They were you, Smashers. You are my children.**_

"_**You probably know most of what happened next," **_Mastermind stated self-assuredly. _**"The Hands entered you into the first Smash Tournament, watched by an audience and an announcer that they created themselves just for this event. Master Hand presided over the tournament, while Crazy Hand worked on creating more Smashers within the Master World and depositing them in the Smash World. Despite a few nasty incidents, the proceedings went along relatively smoothly, each fight more of a spectacle than the last. Emboldened by their success, Master Hand began devising a new activity for you: a treasure hunt. He created gates to other worlds all over the Smash World, then commanded Mr. Game &Watch to throw a golden key inside each one, intending to have you to find them all. Unbeknownst to him, my thoughts in his subconscious had had a subtle influence on his actions here. All of the gates were connected to a homeworld of an Arcana Mejis member, and the keys themselves were a secret back door into the Master World. As you might be able to tell, nearly everything that the Hands did helped to further my plan to restore myself, defeat Arcana Mejis, and recreate my utopia. Quite fortunate for us all.**_

"_**Before Master Hand could implement his new exercise, that meddlesome fool Tabuu struck, using Mr. Game & Watch to control Master Hand and advance his ridiculous world domination plan. As much as I hate to admit it, his methods were effective enough to convert the entire Smash World to 'Subspace' despite our best efforts. You never gave up, though, and Tabuu soon fell." **_Mastermind smiled._** "It's moments like those that make me feel honored to be your father.**_

"_**Of course, Tabuu's invasion did leave its scars. The stadium and living quarters the Hands had made for you were destroyed, and they were forced to enact a temporary replacement stadium, which you cleverly dubbed 'the Toybox'. Crazy Hand resumed the process of constructing Smashers, while Master Hand embarked on a more serious task. The attack by Tabuu had made him paranoid, fearing for the safety of himself, his twin, and his creations. He felt that he needed a security force, a group of loyal and capable subordinates who would be able to keep the tournament running smoothly and protect everyone involved from outside threats. Master Hand was unable to create these enforcers, however, having no mental templates to build upon to create artificial intelligences. **_

"_**Just as he was wrestling with that problem, a curious twist of fate dropped the answer right in front of him. Two fragments of consciousness wandered into the Master World, lost and confused after being separated from their original bodies. Master Hand used a machine within the Toybox to implant them into synthetic bodies, wiping their memories and imprinting into them the skills needed to supervise and defend the Smash Tournament. He also created a leader for them, a supervisor who would guide them towards optimal performance at all times. These were the Operators." **_Mastermind glanced meaningfully over at Sael and Elyan.

The two of them shrank back away from him, clutching each other's hands tightly.

"_**In time, a new home for you was built: the Smash Mansion, an elaborate house that contained both living quarters and a special stadium for conducting battles. The tournament resumed and life slowly returned to normal, barring some slight hiccups."**_ Mastermind's voice abruptly lost all inflection, becoming flat and hard. _**"Then…you rebelled."**_

The Smashers tensed in grim anticipation, their hands straying near their weapons.

Mastermind raised his hands in a placating motion. _**"Don't be alarmed. I hold no animosity towards you because of that. Your strikes against the Hands, although unexpected, were ultimately beneficial for all of us. You see, when you were created, the subliminal messages inside the Hands were also placed within you. While your basic natures as individuals always took precedence, for the most part your actions were heavily influenced by those messages. Your rebellion, for instance, was not just an act of lashing out against me, but an attempt to destroy the enchantment I was trapped in and return me to my true self. My presence in your minds allowed you to combine the Hands' map outlining the route to the Master World and Master Hand's golden keys to create a doorway to a part of the Master World, which you called "Final Destination". You had the opportunity you needed to destroy them, and you took it."**_ Mastermind's mask shifted into a downcast expression. _**"Sadly, you were not as successful in other areas. You encountered a member of Arcana Mejis on almost every single world you visited, but your pacifistic mindsets only let you kill the one member who was actively attacking you."**_

"Wait a minute," Link said confusedly. "I don't remember any of us killing someone."

"I think he's talking about that witch Roy killed," Samus replied. "You know, the one who had kept that ghost captive?"

"_**Precisely,"**_ said Mastermind. _**"Her name was Miranda, known as 'Judgment' within the ranks of Arcana Mejis. She was far from the most powerful member you could have taken out, though her death is still a significant accomplishment. But I digress. After you annihilated the Hands, they reformed into my original body, restoring my mind. All my power had been returned, but the curse that confined me to the Master World was still in effect. This appeared to put a halt to my plans, as I could hardly govern a utopia that I could never physically set foot on. For a frightening period of time, I was well and truly at a loss as to what to do.**_

"_**Despairing, I turned to watching other planets again to lift my spirits and hopefully spark some ideas. My efforts were rewarded when I observed a Earth sapient named Devlin working on an interdimensional gate. It occurred to me that if a tunnel between universes was created, I just might be able to connect the tunnel to the Master World and use the tunnel to expand my dimension until it was big enough to fit a fully formed planet inside. If only someone else would build their own gate and set the frequency to match Devlin's gate, I mused regretfully to myself. Imagine my surprise when you started to do just that.**_

"_**It seemed that my status as your creator allowed me to actively influence your subconscious minds. I could plant the slightest of suggestions in your mind from inside the Master World and watch as you followed them to the letter, coming up with your own rationales for why you were embarking on these courses of action. Using this newfound power, I had Samus align her gate perfectly with Devlin's, creating the tunnel. Unfortunately, the tunnel was too strong for me to permeate, and I could only watch helplessly as the six of you were flung into another world, victims of my folly."**_

"_That's_ why the Smashers came to Earth?" Mayberry questioned incredulously. "You just picked the first world you saw that was making a gate?"

"_**You expected me to have a grander purpose in choosing Earth? Some powerful creature or artifact buried on your planet, perhaps, or an ancient prophecy proclaiming that Earth is where the Chosen One resides?"**_ Mastermind asked sarcastically. _**"You humans are so pompous and self-important. Everything always has to revolve around Earth and its almighty humans. And you wonder why no other species have ever contacted you."**_

_I will __not__ shoot the godlike being, I will __not__ shoot the godlike being, I will __not__ shoot the godlike being,_ Mayberry thought furiously, forcing himself to listen as Mastermind continued talking.

"_**The situation was rapidly spinning out of my control," **_Mastermind was saying. _**"You were stranded in a hostile alien environment, pursued by trigger-happy sapients and nearly starving to death. Thanks to your determination and ingenuity, though, you managed to secure yourselves on Earth in two separate groups. With the crisis lessened slightly, I decided the time was right to try again. I placed the instruction to make another gate in Ganondorf's mind and waited for him to start down the path that would lead to him doing so. Soon enough, my patience was rewarded."**_

Ganondorf looked as though he had been slapped. "Everything that I did on Earth…was merely leading me towards creating the gate?"

"_**Yes,"**_ Mastermind beamed, oblivious to Ganondorf's crushed expression. _**"You played your part well, constructing your own gate and getting it operational in record time. The process might have been even faster had Abraxas not chosen to interfere again, sending this human on a vendetta to thwart both of us." **_He indicated Mayberry with a wave of his hand.

Mayberry's eyes widened, the pieces coming together in his mind. "Mr. A was Abraxas…that explains a lot."

Mastermind returned to his story. _**"Once the gate was finished, I gave Ganondorf a mental nudge, causing him to alter the destination coordinates of the gate to that of the Master World."**_

"I _knew_ that I entered in the correct coordinates," Ganondorf muttered.

"_**As before, the gate was activated, the tunnel was created, and all of you were drawn inside of it. Just as I predicted, the Master World expanded and I was able to make my world. With only a short amount of time to shape the planet before the tunnel collapsed, I had to work quickly. I threw the world together with the most basic of materials, randomly scattering replicas of notable landmarks of peace and mortal ingenuity from other worlds across its surface. For the moment, this world is extremely fragile, only remaining intact through my power and sheer force of will. In a few moments, I will move to higher ground and work on perfecting the terrain of my New World. I suggest remaining inside the replica Taj Mahal as I do so, as the shifting ground outside might be hazardous to you. I will be finished in a few hours, and then we can enjoy paradise together, my children.**_

Mastermind adjusted his cape, preparing to leave. _**"I believe that covers everything. Farewell for now, Sma-"**_

"Wait, I have a question," Mayberry interrupted.

Mastermind paused, glancing at him. _**"Yes?"**_ he asked a tad irritably.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Mayberry explained. "You said that explaining your utopian plan to people on other worlds turned them against you. When Abraxas heard it, he founded Arcana Mejis for the sole purpose of stopping you. Why? What was so reprehensible about a utopia to them?"

Mastermind looked surprised. _**"I didn't tell you this already? Must have slipped my mind. To answer your question, I plan to destroy the multiverse and everything inside of it once my utopia is complete."**_

"WHAT?!" Mario, Link, Samus, Bowser, Ganondorf, Wario, Sael, Elyan, and Mayberry shrieked simultaneously.

"_**Interesting. All of you have had the same illogical response as everyone else who I told that bit of information,"**_ Mastermind observed thoughtfully. _**"I don't know why mortals insist on resisting this plan of action. Normal existence is filled with evil, suffering, and unhappiness. If perfection is available, why should anything else even exist?"**_

"An' who gets ta live is dis perfect world?" Wario challenged. "Just you?"

"_**Certainly not,"**_ Mastermind said indignantly. _**"I will scour the multiverse for the most pure and good individuals I can find, creating replicas of them to populate the New World with. You and the rest of the Smashers will also be able to live there, as a token of my eternal gratitude."**_ He turned to look at Sael, Elyan, and Mayberry. _**"I hadn't planned on allowing two mutants with no species identity and Abraxas' puppet to enter as well, but the three of you seem harmless enough."**_

_Wow, I'm so flattered,_ Mayberry thought scornfully.

Sael looked hurt. Elyan draped a protective arm around her shoulder and stared accusingly at Mastermind.

"_**Time grows short," **_Mastermind announced. _**"I will take my leave and get to work. Fortune knows I have quite a lot to do."**_

He rose into the air, giving one last wave before turning and floating away. _**"Remember how proud I always am of you, my children!"**_

The assembled group was left alone with their thoughts. For awhile, no one said anything.

Mario, Link, and Samus looked at each other blankly, having no idea what to say. Ganondorf and Wario took to pacing, muttering to themselves in disbelieving tones. Bowser stared off into the distance where Mastermind had gone, his claws tightened into fists and his face twisted into a snarl. Sael and Elyan hugged each other tightly, Elyan softly imparting comforting words into Sael's ear. Mayberry was shaking his head in bewilderment, rubbing his temples with one hand. 

"RAAAAAAGHHHH!" Bowser abruptly roared in anger, catching everyone by surprise. "Mastermind _used_ us! He just used us like we were _pieces_ in one big game! That monster doesn't care about anything but himself! I ought to smash his nonexistent face in!"

"Calm yourself, Bowser," Ganondorf said tiredly. "Your rage is useless at this point."

Bowser whipped around to face him, incensed. "How can you say that? The Ganondorf I knew would never give up so easily!"

Ganondorf shrugged helplessly. "He can control our minds completely, Bowser. We cannot fight something like that. Mastermind can alter our actions until we are playing directly into his hands without even realizing it. We are but slaves before him."

"That's not true," Link said suddenly. "Mastermind can control us, but he can't override our basic natures; he said so himself. If we really want to fight him, there's not much that he can do about it."

"Except zap us into oblivion," Wario commented dryly. "Did ya ferget da part where he said he had superpowers?"

"Right now he's using most of his power to keep this planet intact and reshape it to his liking," Samus pointed out. "He's both weakened and distracted, which gives us a small advantage."

Ganondorf stared at her. "Do you mean to tell me that you are seriously considering entering into combat with Mastermind? Whatever would make you think that such a venture is a good idea?"

"It's-a not a good idea," Mario said, his voice hard. "It's-a the right thing-a to do. That's-a why we're-a going to-a go fight, because Mastermind-a needs to be-a stopped, no matter-a the cost." Link and Samus nodded in agreement.

"Count me in!" Bowser declared. "I'm going to show that arrogant Goomba-eater not to mess with the king of the Koopas!"

Ganondorf sighed. "If your minds are made up, I suppose Wario and I shall have to come with you as well. I will not allow Mastermind to rob me of my revenge against you, Smashers."

"We're Operators, not mutants," Sael said softly. Looking at Elyan, who nodded with a slight smile, she went on. "We're coming too." She looked over her shoulder at Mayberry quizzically. "Mr. Mayberry, are you coming?"

"Hang on, let me see if I've got this right," Mayberry answered, folding his arms and regarding the others critically. "You're going up against an individual powerful enough to be a deity, who can't be killed, on the world that he made himself, knowing full well what you're doing and what's going to happen to you if you fail?"

Everyone else nodded.

"Oh, what the hell," Mayberry said resignedly. "I didn't have anything better to do today anyway."

As one, the group turned and began walking in the direction Mastermind had headed.

* * *

"God's in his Heaven - All's right with the world!"

-Robert Browning

* * *

U92: And I thought I had a lot to talk about _last_ chapter. This is going to be one long Author's Note.

This chapter demonstrates my love of subversions, instances where something happens that's completely the opposite of what the audience expects. The Smashers get transported to the Very Definitely Final Dungeon? The first thing they see is the Taj Mahal. The ultimate Big Bad of the story shows up? He's a caring, compassionate, fatherly individual who's actually proud of the heroes for all they've accomplished. Earth is chosen as the world for the Smashers to go to? It's only because of some minor little detail. I love both creating subversions and experiencing them myself as an audience member. Nothing breathes new life into a plot like a subversion.

No, Mastermind and his New World were not what I originally was thinking of when I was thinking up both the story name "Smash Mind" and the sub-title "New World". It just so happened that I thought up this backstory while mapping out the plot, and decided to call Mastermind's utopia "New World" to add a layer of thematic significance. Cool, huh?

Mastermind is probably one of my favorite characters in Smash Mind to date. As I mentioned before, I like writing sympathetic villains, and it doesn't get more sympathetic than a wide-eyed idealist who just wants people to be happy. Plus, he's a near-omnipotent figure with the mind of an intellectual and the emotional maturity of a four-year-old-child. His dialogue can switch from thought-provoking to silly to horrifying within minutes, making him a very dangerous person to be around. Like I said, I love this character.

Yes, most of the backstory here is a retcon. Sue2 didn't have any of what's in this chapter in mind when writing out Unity, but was gracious enough to accept this as part of her Unity-canon. I know that retcons are often a bad idea (_One More Day_, I'm looking at you), but I think that the type of retcon here is one of the best kinds. This retcon isn't saying that anything in Unity didn't actually happen or that any of the characters didn't mean to do what they did, just that there was more going on behind the scenes than you might think.

You know what's funny? While I was going over the backstory of Smash Mind to write this chapter, I noticed that I've inadvertently made the Subspace Emissary, the only real plot the Super Smash Brothers series has ever had, into a _side story_ in the Smash Mind universe. A mark of epic plotting or a measure of my enormous ego? You be the judge.

Yes, that's right. Almost **every single OC** in Unity was actually a member of Arcana Mejis. If trying to guess which ones are members isn't a reason to go read that excellent story, I don't know what is.

When I first came up with the character of Mastermind, I immediately knew that I'd get asked if he was supposed to be God. I threw in Mayberry's question as a way to put these concerns to rest while leaving it deliberately ambiguous as to whether or not God actually exists in the Smash Mind universe. You can pick whichever interpretation you like, I don't really get uptight over these sorts of things.

A subtle bit of exposition that you might not have caught: Mastermind building the Smashers out of Shadow Bugs explains why both Mario and Wario bled Shadow Bugs earlier in the story.

The "nasty incidents" that Mastermind mentions occurring during the first Smash Tournament are described in greater detail in the last chapter of Smash Mind: Prologues, and the "slight hiccups" during the "Toybox" period following Tabuu's attack are depicted in Black Omochao's story "The Beast Within" and his upcoming story "The Alloy Rebellion".

Doesn't everything in the prologue of this story make a lot more sense now?

Argh, Mastermind sounds so much like Ganondorf when I write for him! I want all my characters to sound distinct, dammit!

Sue2: Well, I think Ultiman's covered most of it. Has your brain exploded yet? Mine did when he explained it to me. Fuun. :D

REVIEW!


	23. Destiny

U92: WE'RE STILL NOT DEAD! Extremely sorry for the long wait, but hopefully a big final battle chapter will be worth it!

Sue2: Well, here we go! Sorry for the long wait, you can set that blame squarely on my shoulders. Writing, roleplaying, four music credit courses and a choir - I can't seem to balance a schedule to save my life! I hope I'll do better next time. With luck, the chapter'll make up for it - it's a pretty good one, in my opinion.

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Two-

_Destiny_

* * *

As soon as they had left the false Taj Mahal behind them, the group looked around for any trace of where Mastermind had gone. Being the tallest of the group, Ganondorf spotted the glowing tower on the horizon first, and promptly pointed it out to the others. The remaining eight crowded around him, squinting at the slim monolith off in the distance.

Tall and thin with no visible windows or balconies, the tower dwarfed every other landmark in sight. It was made of a purple glasslike material, waves of light rippling down its surface as it reflected the psychedelic sky above. Long pointed spikes jutted out from the sides at random locations, angled up away from the tower and towards the sky. A bright white light shone right above the top of the tower, blazing as brightly as a newborn star.

"Subtle," Wario said dryly.

"I guess we know where Mastermind is, then," said Mayberry, feeling somewhat nonplussed.

With their destination established, the nine of them started walking toward the tower at a steady pace. They unconsciously separated into their familiar cliques of three as they went, grouping together with their most trusted associates to discuss battle plans and tactics. The mood was solemn as the party continued their trek towards Mastermind.

After half an hour of navigating through the rows and rows of abandoned landmarks, the group finally arrived at the base of the tower. Up close, the party could see a door carved into the side of the tower, barely distinguishable from the surrounding wall due to its lack of a frame or door handle.

Taking a deep breath, Link stepped forward and pushed open the door with shaking hands.

The door swung open noiselessly, revealing a bare room with no decoration or architecture other than a large spiral staircase leading up to the highest floor. With a collective gulp from everyone (except for Mayberry, who reflexively loosened his tie instead, and Ganondorf, who remained perfectly composed), the band of nine began to ascend the stairs.

Up and up they went, their apprehension mounting with every step they took. Elyan, noting the scared look on Sael's face, slipped an arm around her shoulders and patted her upper arm encouragingly. Bowser trudged along at the back of the group, sporting an uncharacteristically somber expression. Link twirled the Master Sword in small circles at his side, going over battle strategies and contingency plans in his mind. Mayberry pulled out his wallet, briefly glancing at a picture of a smiling woman and a laughing girl before slipping it back into his pocket.

Upon reaching a blank white door at the head of the stairs, the group stopped dead in their tracks. "Alright, this is it," Link announced, looking back at the others. "If anyone wants to turn back, this is your last chance."

Wario snorted. "You honestly dink we came all dis way just ta go back now? We're in dis together, ya idjit."

"Let's go, Link," Samus gently urged him. "We're all ready."

Hearing no complaints, Link pushed the door open and led the way onto the roof of the tower.

* * *

The nine of them found themselves on a wide, vaguely circular surface about the size of a football field. Mastermind was at the far end, facing away from them as he watched the landscape reshape itself under his mental command. Faint tearing and rumbling sounds could be heard off in the distance as the landmarks on the ground shifted.

"Mastermind!" Bowser roared, his fists so tightly clenched that his claws were turning white.

The majestic figure turned at the sound of Bowser's voice, vanishing and appearing in front of them in an instant. _**"Smashers,"**_ Mastermind said, his voice filled with delighted surprise. _**"You came all this way just to be with me in my moment of triumph? That was very reckless of you, but is a nice gesture nonetheless."**_

Link vigorously shook his head. "We're not here to watch you, Mastermind. We're here to stop you!"

Mastermind looked puzzled. _**"Stop me? Why would you want to do a thing like that?"**_

"Because we can't let you destroy the multiverse!" Elyan exclaimed. "Annihilating something just because you don't like it is wrong!"

"_**I see,"**_ Mastermind said slowly, the mouth hole of his mask curving into a smile. _**"And you are going to stop me how, exactly?"**_

"Any way we can," Bowser snarled.

"We are not afraid to use violence if it becomes necessary," Ganondorf declared, folding his arms imposingly.

Mastermind shook his head slowly, the smile still on his mask. _**"It seems that your time spent on the human world has corrupted you to their selfish way of thinking. As it stands, I have no time at the present to make you learn your lesson, so another will have to do it for me."**_

He made a gesture with his right hand. There was a flash of purple light, and an imposing figure now stood in front of him.

The being's body was comprised completely of wires, twisting and threading themselves together to create facsimile skin, muscles, bones, and organs. All the parts of its body were easily visible to the naked eye, muscles flexing and organs throbbing with every move it made. The being had the body shape of a well-toned man, wires bulging outward to indicate the exact dimensions of all of its muscles. Some wires expanded out near its hands, feet, and shoulder regions, giving it the appearance of wearing gloves, boots, and shoulder pads, while the head had a similar protrusion in the shape of a helmet. The being had a white circle with a horizontal and vertical line running through it where its face should be, giving it an eerie, inhuman look.

"A Wire Frame?" Mario questioned, frowning. "No…it's-a different than the others…"

"_**This is the Master Frame,"**_ Mastermind explained. _**"It is the first Wire Frame that the Hands ever created, with strength, speed, and power that rivals your own. The Master Frame would have made a fearsome Smasher had it not been for one fatal flaw – it has no brain. The Master Frame has no independent thoughts or actions of its own, a mindless drone with no sense of identity or self-preservation. However, it does follow all of my commands to the letter and without question, which makes it somewhat useful to me, though its rather annoying habit of freezing in place when it completes an order makes it a burden to use often. Its skills should be sufficient for now, though."**_

"…An you're tellin' us all dis why?" Wario asked, raising an eyebrow.

"_**It is merely a habit of mine,"**_ Mastermind confessed. _**"I rarely come into contact with any other sentient beings, so I am rather fond of explaining things to those who can understand what I mean."**_

Ganondorf, Bowser, Wario, and Mayberry all simultaneously rolled their eyes.

Mastermind turned to the Master Frame. _**"Would you kindly keep them busy until I can teach them their lesson myself? I will not be long."**_

The Master Frame gave no sign that it had heard him. Instead, it charged the Smashers at full speed, its legs a blur as it streaked towards them. Satisfied, Mastermind teleported away, reappearing in his original position at the other end of the roof.

The Smashers tensed, eyeing the rapidly approaching Master Frame.

"Hylian, take the Frame," Ganondorf commanded. "We shall deal with Mastermind ourselves."

Before Link could utter a single word of protest, Ganondorf was already jogging towards Mastermind with Bowser and Wario close behind him.

Noticing their sudden movement, the Master Frame immediately altered course and ran straight for them. Without even bothering to glance in its direction, Ganondorf grabbed its head with one hand and flung it behind him, never once pausing or slowing down. Bowser and Wario ducked just in time, the Master Frame whooshing over their heads with barely an inch to spare.

The Master Frame landed at Link's feet with a loud thud, several of its leg wires snapping in two. It attempted to struggle to its feet, only to be blocked by Link's sword at its neck.

"I don't know if you can understand me," Link said carefully, "but we don't want to hurt you. If you calm down-"

Smacking aside the Master Sword, the Master Frame sprung to its feet and lunged at Link.

"That doesn't work very often, does it?" Mayberry commented.

"No," Mario and Samus sighed simultaneously.

* * *

On the other side of the roof, Mastermind was perfectly calm and composed up until the point a gunshot whizzed past his ear.

Flinching slightly, Mastermind turned in midair, looking for his attackers. He immediately spotted Wario pointing one of his machine guns at him, a thin wisp of smoke coming from the gun's barrel. Ganondorf and Bowser stood on either side of him, tensed up and ready to act at a moment's notice.

"Dat was a warnin' shot!" Wario shouted. "Da next one goes right between yer eye holes!"

"_**I see you three bypassed the Master Frame,"**_ Mastermind observed. _**"I assume you intend to continue your ridiculous plan to defeat me?"**_

"Yes," Ganondorf replied. "All of Hyrule belongs to me. I will not let you destroy it."

"_**So presumptuous!"**_ Mastermind laughed affectionately. _**"Very well then. Attack me – for all the good it will do you."**_

He spread his arms invitingly, daring them to take a shot at him.

Taking his cue, Wario raised his other gun and fired at Mastermind with both weapons, spitting bullets until his guns simultaneously clicked empty. Every one of his shots disintegrated into atoms when it reached a certain distance from Mastermind's body, as if the immortal was surrounded on all sides by an impenetrable force field.

Not to be outdone, Ganondorf hurled balls of purple fire at Mastermind one after the other. Mastermind, seeing them coming, promptly began teleporting from side to side, ensuring that each fireball thrown missed him by scant inches.

Mastermind laughed softly. _**"Are we finished here? I do have other things to do today, you know."**_

"He's playing with us," Bowser growled, small bursts of flame shooting out of his nose.

"Den we play right back," Wario replied, slamming fresh clips into his guns and once again aiming them at Mastermind.

The three of them spread out in a rough circle, unleashing a second wave of attacks. Wario fired his guns, pausing to reload every three minutes. Bowser spat fireball after fireball at him. Ganondorf attempted to hit him with various forms of purple fire.

Everything missed. Mastermind's smile didn't change.

* * *

There was a moment of silent tension as the Smashers watched the Master Frame approach. Wait, said their instincts. Wait and watch. Caution was best in dealing with an unknown enemy.

When the Frame was but a few steps away from them, Samus, Link, and Mario attacked. A rocket hit the creature, followed closely by a fireball and a fast slash from Link's sword. A moment later, Sael and Elyan ran in to join Link and Mario in close battle. Samus stood back, analyzing her options before deciding to make use of her extensive long-range arsenal. Unfortunately, the four surrounding the Wire Frame, throwing blows with fist, sword, hammer and fireball, made it difficult to get a good shot in. One of her comrades always seemed to be in the way of her cannon.

Mayberry was facing similar problems, unable to aim with his allies constantly getting in his way. He resigned himself to circling around the others and looking for an opening.

Those in the close fray were also having trouble landing a blow. There were four of them, and the Master Frame was really no bigger than they were. Punches thrown, fireballs, slashes of swords... most of them spent more time dodging each other than attacking.

Sael ducked Link's swing from one side. The smell of burning clothing reached her, and she looked, alarmed, at Elyan. "El! Your pants!" A low fireball had singed the cuff of Elyan's jeans and left them smoldering.

Elyan stepped back, stamping on the hem of his jeans, before returning to throw another punch. He cursed himself for getting rid of his gun before realizing he'd never be able to fire into this tangle. The Frame dodged his punch, tugging his wrist and sending him crashing into Mario.

"Be more-a careful!" Mario said, shoving Elyan's head down to avid a kick.

"Sorry!" Elyan compacted himself and rolled out of Mario's way, rejoining the fight from another side.

A moment later Sael had to drop to the ground to avoid Link's sword - the Frame was fast enough to take the shots of two trained fighters and two semi-trained fighters and turn them against each other.

"This isn't working, there's too many of us! Sael, Elyan, back!" Link called.

Sael grabbed Elyan's arm and the two leaped out of the fray. Now able to fight without worrying as much about hurting them or Mario, Link swung his blade high, sweeping it at the Frame. The creature dodged, but Mario planted a flaming hand on its chest, letting fire explode from his fingers and knock it back.

As it fell towards Sael and Elyan, they noticed some wires warping around the chest area. The wires that marked the "skin" were superficial and did not slow the Frame down in any way, but were warping as if the skin was damaged.

The two of them fell upon the frame, mallet and fist hitting with an opportunistic ferocity. As those who had been trained once in fighting in synthetic forms that housed only their minds, they understood the theory of fighting much better than the practice. They had guessed Link's idea almost simultaneously: if there was always someone to hit it, it wouldn't have a chance to hit back, and they wouldn't be made vulnerable by everyone attacking at once.

Sael heard the sound of Samus' cannon and ducked, allowing the blast to hit the creature squarely. It stumbled back, and Link attacked. Unfortunately, it moved fast - the frame kicked out at Link, knocking him off-balance just long enough to gain the upper hand. It launched a flurry of rapid-fire punches before Mario came to Link's aid.

Samus fired off a long series of rockets and energy blasts, taking advantage of an open space to attack. She saw skin wires buckle and even begin to peel away, but the Frame did not even slow down. It didn't seem to feel the pain of attacks like they did - at that moment Link was grimacing as he shifted from foot to foot in readiness and Sael's weak hand was shaking from a blow to the nerves in the elbow. That stopped neither of them, though - sword and mallet were steady, waiting for the Frame to be knocked out of the immediate fray to where they could attack.

But Samus herself, Mario, and Elyan were doing quite well themselves. When Samus' stream of rockets slowed, Mario jumped up and attacked with a series of quick kicks to the Frame's chest area. He ended it with a fire-laced blow like he had used before, keeping the flame in close so that no one else was scorched. Elyan moved in from behind with quick punches to the Frame's head and arms. After a particularly hard punch, he winced.

"Elyan?" Sael asked, concerned.

"Don't worry. I just forgot that when you hit a Frame they're actually wires..." he sounded almost sheepish, though his steady punches hadn't slowed.

Sael shook her head. "We trained on Wire Frames, silly."

"...yeah. I know. I remember less of the actual battles, and I rarely fought up close." Elyan reddened, not slowing. "Besides, in the constructed body my hands are calloused."

"Want me to take your place? You can rip some fabric off of your shirt or something and tie it around your hands so they don't hurt so much." Sael raised her mallet.

"Nah. I'm fine. It was more surprise than pain."

"Congratulations. You've learned the art of combat repartee." Samus' voice was vaguely ironic but amused, as she fired a heat-seeking rocket off to the left, then leveled her cannon. "Now shut up and duck."

The energy blast that Samus fired over Elyan's head was dodged with little effort - she had all but warned it after all, but the rocket, curving in search of the being targeted by Samus' suit, wasn't. The Frame stumbled backwards once more.

"Are you two-a any better?" Mario called to Sael and Link.

"We're fine," Link said. "You don't need to keep going for now."

"You're-a sure?" Mario glanced over at the two who had taken the worst hits, wondering if he should keep the Frame close to him and Elyan for a bit longer to give them more time - Link had looked in real pain when the Frame had delivered that kick to his leg.

But the Frame didn't give him that choice. Finally catching on to their plan, it leaped back from Mario and sent a powerful kick to his stomach before turning and rushing for Samus. Samus seemed almost glad to move into close quarters and fight with her suit's close-up weapons, though she didn't ignore the chance to fire several small energy bursts into the Frame as it approached.

Samus paused a moment, startled, when the blasts appeared to go right through without even touching it. Then she realized it had actually been torn open by their blows, right through where its heart would be. And it was still going. Samus attacked with a new vigor, but it fought back with equal ferocity.

She caught a glance from Link, who nodded encouragingly, moving slowly and silently up behind the Frame. Samus stopped her energy blasts - she didn't want to fire one right through and risk hitting Link. She turned her eyes back to the faintly glowing wires and just narrowly blocked two translucent fingers headed for her solar plexus. While her suit did offer padding there, the impact might have knocked her back quite a bit.

Suddenly, Link reared back, stabbing his sword into the hole in the Frame's back and ripping its back open with the blade. The Master Sword tore through wires and ripped the Frame practically in half before the blade hit the floor. Link stepped back, watching.

The Master Frame turned around, its back rent open and arms hanging at odd angles. Turning around with surprising speed considering its injured state, it swung a low kick at Link, catching one of his legs in his shock at the sudden attack.

Link hit the ground hard, his head smacking against the hard surface painfully. Dazed slightly, he curled up and lay still.

The Master Frame stared at him a moment, then turned on Mario. _It thinks he's dead because he's not moving? _Samus wondered._ Guess this really was an early Frame... the newer ones are smarter than that.  
_  
Mario attacked again, forgoing use of his fire bursts in favor of short, exact blows, hitting individual wires and warping or damaging them.

_He's got the right idea, _Samus thought._ The only thing that will stop it is total loss of movement. Its wires are the key._

Bit by bit, Samus and Mario peeled away the shell of the Master Frame. With surgical precision, they knocked aside wires or bent them away, and with each attack the Frame slowed more. It didn't cease fighting, not even for a moment, but its strategy of using their own blows against them was now rendered useless.

The Frame was not finished yet, however.

Dodging an ill-timed Charge Shot from Samus, the Frame gave her a solid punch to the face plate, sending her tumbling into Link and knocking them both back to the ground. It laid into them both with the same preciseness they had used against it, hitting pain points in Link's body and gaps in Samus' armor fast enough to immobilize them both. Soon, the bounty hunter and the Hylian were completely tangled together, effectively hindering both attempts to rise and fight back.

_It's hitting us every time we so much as move,_ Samus growled to herself. The realization hit her a second later. _Oh yeah…to it, any active threat is a dangerous threat. Remove the activity…_

Samus abruptly ceased her thrashing about and went limp, lying completely still where she had fallen. Link took the cue from her and fell motionless as well. After a moment, the blows stopped, and Samus waited to hear its footsteps turning away.

…_and you remove the danger,_ Samus thought satisfactorily.

While Samus and Link untangled themselves, Mario was receiving help against the Frame. Sael and Elyan had seen their predicament and now fist and mallet were leant to Mario's aid.

Sael swung her mallet high and brought it down on the wires still connecting the two halves of the creature. The hammer dented the top wire, all but bouncing off the Frame.

"Right," Sael said in an embarrassed and self-chastising voice, moving around to attack from another angle. "This isn't a sword. It doesn't cut things."

Elyan quietly snuck up on the Frame, aiming for the chest wires. The Frame saw him coming, however, and dodged out of the way, following up with a quick blow to Elyan's arm. He brought up another punch with the other hand, but the Frame dodged that as well.

Sael brought her mallet up in a hard swing with all of her strength. The Frame dropped low, allowing Sael's mallet to swing over its head, Sael struggling to stop its momentum for a moment before getting it back under control.

Link returned with a heavy blow with his sword, which the Frame dropped fully to the ground to dodge. Samus planted one of her remaining motion sensor bombs on the ground, motioning to Link to drive the Frame towards it. Link nodded and slashed at the Master Frame from the side, hoping to get it to sidestep into the bomb. The Frame had caught sight of the bomb, however, and dodged away once more.

Seeing the Frame narrowly dodge past the bomb, Mario tossed a fireball and set off the bomb, trying to catch the Frame in the fringe of the explosion. However, the blast only caught the edge of the Frame's arm, burning it slightly.

_Well, _thought Samus._ I think the tables have turned. Now it's just trying to stay alive - and doing a pretty good job of it, unfortunately. Now, facing it one-on-one or two-on-one won't work, even though it's slowing down._

She fell back, allowing Link and Mario to keep the Frame busy as she watched its movements and tried to think of a new strategy. The Frame dodged Mario and Link's attacks fairly well, though they occasionally hit it with a glancing blow. She noticed the stress on the front wires from the lack of supporting back wires, and how most of the hits any of her companions got in was when the back wires swung apart accidentally.

_The Frame has too much room to dodge, we're not getting anywhere, _Samus thought._ We'll need to reverse our strategy. When it was fully functional it turned our own blows against us, but now I think it's too slow to do that. We'll have to swarm it now, corner it._

She gestured to Sael and Elyan and moved in to where Link and Mario were fighting, the Operators following her a moment later. As the five of them formed a circle around it, the Frame made a break for it, sprinting off in the opposite direction.

Sael tackled it, sending it crashing down to the ground. Though the Frame shook her off of it within seconds, Sael had distracted the Frame enough to let the others completely surround it.

They all fought the Frame together. Learning from their last close-up battle, they kept to small, direct blows, and hugged their weapons close to their bodies.

Link was having a little bit of trouble, unused to this kind of small, close fighting. Link was used to ranging around the room, using what was around him and putting all the strength of his arm into hard swings from his sword. His sword was long and heavy, unsuited for the type of little, close blows he needed to use for this battle.

He heard a hiss of pain. Mario was clenching his fist, a thin cut on the back of his hand. Link grimaced, unsure of whether it had come from the wires or from his sword. He stepped back slightly, giving both the Frame and himself a little more room to maneuver, and swung the sword downward in a hard, fast blow. A few more of the front wires were cleaved in half, and Link stepped close again.

Slipping past him, the Frame turned to attack Sael, the wires Link had cut on its back bent all out of shape by her mallet and Elyan's fists. The Frame was focusing on the annoyances that were slowing it down over its other attackers.

Sensing an opportunity, Mario heated his fingers with a tiny film of fire and jabbed the Frame in a specific spot, loosening a wire and allowing it to stick out. Banishing the fire from his hands, he made a grab for the stray wire only to have the Frame quickly evade his movements. The Frame continued to dodge Mario's attempts to seize the wire, ducking and twisting away as it unsuccessfully threw punches at the Operators.

As the Frame slipped past one of Samus' blows, the wire on its back wire swung towards Mario. Wasting no time, Mario lunged towards the Frame and pulled on the wire with both hands, wincing as the sharp edges of the wire cut his hands through his gloves.

The Frame tumbled down onto its back, more wires springing loose as it landed.

Link leaped forward, bringing down a heavy swing at the Frame's front wires and slicing the creature in half. Messes of wires spilled out of both halves of the Frame, feebly wriggling as they attempted to knit themselves back together.

The group stared for a moment at the twitching form, still trying to get up and fight, before they set upon it, using sword and fist alike to hack it to pieces. Any stray wires were completely destroyed by Mario's flames.

The Smashers and Operators sat down near the remains of the Master Frame, taking a moment to catch their breaths.

* * *

Wario's guns clicked empty yet again. "Damnit!" he swore, angrily yanking the clips out and throwing them onto the floor. "Nothin' works against dis guy!"

Bowser collapsed in exhaustion, smoke issuing from the back of his mouth. "Sorry…Ganondorf…" he wheezed. "Can't…keep…going…"

Seeing the conditions of his friends, Ganondorf extinguished the flames on his hands, his face tight. "Bowser, Wario, fall back," he said with obvious reluctance. "Our current plan of attack is useless."

Slowly, wearily, Bowser and Wario made their way over to Ganondorf. As one, they started to retreat.

"_**Have you finally given up?"**_ Mastermind said with delight. _**"I knew you would exhaust yourselves sooner or later."**_ Something behind them caught his attention, and an amused smirk formed on his mask. _**"Look at that. Your replacements have arrived."**_

The villains collectively looked over their shoulders. Mario, Link, Samus, Mayberry, Sael, Elyan, and Mayberry were all sprinting towards them, their weapons primed and determined looks on their faces.

They came to a halt next to the huddled villains, splitting up into groups and moving quickly. Samus, Sael, and Elyan helped the villains off to one side, Samus whispering something in Ganondorf's ear as she passed him. Mario, Link and Mayberry ran right up to Mastermind, their weapons at the ready.

"_**You three also wish to challenge me? So disappointing,"**_ Mastermind said ruefully, shaking his head. _**"I had expected more out of you…"**_

"We're not your children, Mastermind!" Link called out angrily. "We belong to ourselves, and only ourselves! You can't control us!"

"Oh, for Goddesses' sake, Hylian," Ganondorf snapped irritably. "Is that honestly your best attempt at dramatic banter? How pitiful. Let a true master of words show you how it is done."

Pushing past Samus, he stalked over to where Link and the others were standing and looked Mastermind straight in the eye. "You pompous, self-aggrandizing egotist, do you honestly consider yourself to be a god? You know _nothing_ of gods. I have been in the presence of gods and goddesses. I have heard their eternal wisdom and looked upon their almighty visages. I fear them as I do no other being, as only they have the power to permanently kill me. I look upon you now, Mastermind, and _I feel no fear_. I see no god before me. All that I see is an immortal with an oversized ego. And I have never met an immortal that I cannot kill."

Mastermind was silent for a moment. _**"And you expect me to revoke my godhood and submit to you?"**_

Ganondorf grinned. "Of course not. I was merely a distraction."

_ZPOW!_

Mastermind's smile disappeared as he arched his back in pain, his limbs twitching randomly. Once the pain had left his body, he went completely limp, resembling a puppet whose strings had just been cut. Breathing heavily, he slowly rotated backwards to stare uncomprehendingly at Samus, lowering her cannon from where she had just shot him in the back.

"_**Samus?"**_ Mastermind choked out, all trace of composure lost. _**"How did you possibly get behind me without my noticing?"**_

"A Morph Ball rolling past can be pretty hard to notice," Samus replied. "Especially if you're only focusing on Ganondorf's monologue."

An ugly expression formed on Mastermind's mask. _**"Well then,"**_ he said, his voice low and silky. _**"It seems I will need to take more of an active role in your punishment. Please remember that what I am about to do will hurt me more than it hurts you."**_

"I've 'eard dat one before," Wario grumbled.

Narrowing his eye holes, Mastermind tilted his head to one side slightly and concentrated. Giant spikes began sporadically popping out of the floor in random locations, their ends needle sharp. The group was forced to move fast to avoid being skewered.

A spike popping up in between them forced Elyan to let go of Sael's hand. "Elyan!" Sael cried out, looking around fearfully at the appearing spikes for her companion.

"Don't worry, Sael, I'll find you!" Elyan yelled, quickly stepping around the sprouting spikes while keeping an eye on where he had last seen Sael.

"Dis is humiliatin'," Wario grumbled, dancing around on the tips of his toes as he dodged past the dull purple points. Bowser nodded grumpily in agreement.

Leaping back from an oncoming spike, Mario took a moment to survey his surroundings. All of his allies were staring at the ground as they moved about, trying to anticipate where the spikes would appear. The only one paying the slightest bit of attention to the others was Elyan, doggedly attempting to work his way to Sael's position.

_This isn't-a working,_ Mario thought to himself, his mind working fast. _We're-a only buying time for-a ourselves. Soon we won't have-a anywhere left to dodge, and we'll-a be finished. We need to-a take action now._

Without taking any time to think about what he was doing, Mario leaped into the air, aiming for the top of a particularly large spike. Landing delicately on the spike with one foot, he pushed himself off the spike and up towards where Mastermind was floating. Mario briefly caught a glimpse of the shocked expression on Mastermind's mask before delivering an uppercut to his face.

He landed on the ground with knees bent and arms spread to absorb the impact, watching in satisfaction as Mastermind reeled back before hurriedly reorienting himself.

"_**Mario…"**_ Mastermind almost growled, holding a gloved hand to his face. _**"You also dare to strike me? Do you not know what I am capable of **_**doing **_**to you?"**_

"I don't-a care," Mario answered defiantly. "It was-a enough to let my friends-a escape."

Mastermind's eye holes widened as he looked past Mario to the others. The spikes had ceased appearing after Mario's timely strike, allowing the group to successfully navigate past the clusters of spikes to a clear point beyond the deadly shafts. Noticing Mastermind's eyes on them, the group quickly arranged themselves into a tight circle with everyone facing outwards, preventing Mastermind from splitting them apart again. With a hop, skip, and a jump, Mario joined the circle as well.

"Your tricks won't work a second time, Mastermind!" Elyan called out challengingly.

"Yeah!" Wario added. "We're wise now to dat stuff ya do wiv da stalactites…I mean, stalagmites…stalactites…damn, I never can remember which is which…"

Looking angry, Mastermind slowly waved his hand, causing the spikes to retreat back into the ground. _**"Smashers,"**_ he said tightly, _**"you are beginning to irritate me. My new world is now several minutes behind schedule due to your interference. Perhaps this will finally get through to you."**_

His hands balling into fists, Mastermind abruptly ceased floating in midair and dropped to the ground gracefully. No sooner did his feet touch the floor than he began darting towards the group at superhuman speed, moving even faster than the Master Frame. Before anyone could even blink, Mastermind was right in front of them.

With one swift, precise move, Mastermind punched Link in the stomach, knocking him into Bowser and sending the two of them hurtling across the roof of the tower.

The group scattered, attempting to distance themselves from the immortal and get on the defensive. Despite their best efforts, though, Mastermind was always two steps ahead of them.

Tossing Sael into Elyan, Mastermind dispatched Wario with a roundhouse kick to the midsection before moving on to the others. Mario attempted to throw several punches at him, only to find himself swinging at empty air as Mastermind dodged past him, grabbed his collar, and hurled him to the ground. Ganondorf received a series of three blows to the chest and gut, topped off with a kick to the stomach that sent him flying several feet. Darting behind Mayberry, Mastermind twisted both of the detective's arms behind his back painfully, causing him to yell in pain and drop both his guns. With a strong kick to the back, he sent Mayberry toppling to his knees.

In less than two minutes, Mastermind had disabled the entire group.

He folded his arms across his chest and looked over the crumpled forms of the group, smiling condescendingly. _**"Now do you see? Defying me is pointless. It would be best for all of us if you gave up and accepted your fate."**_

The Smashers did not answer him, instead choosing to rise to their feet and ready their weapons again. Mastermind looked shocked. _**"You **_**still **_**persist? What will it **__**take**__** for you to give up?"**_

"You must not-a know us very well," Mario panted. "We-a _never_ give up."

"All of reality depends on what we do here," said Link.

"We have to stop you. You've given us no other choice," said Samus.

"The universe is not yours to toy with as you see fit," said Ganondorf.

"We're not your pawns," Bowser snarled.

"So ya can take all dose 'New World' ideas an' shove 'em where da sun don't shine," said Wario threateningly.

"Knock us down as many times as you want, Mastermind; we'll just keep getting back up!" said Elyan.

"You're going down!" Sael shouted.

"…What they said," Mayberry added uncomfortably.

"_**You must be quite proud of yourselves,"**_ Mastermind said mockingly. _**"But bold words are nothing compared to bold actions."**_

Thrusting his palm forward, he sent a wave of energy at them.

Ganondorf, hunched over on one knee, tiredly willed a small purple dome into existence with a feeble snap of his fingers. The wave smashed against the side of the dome, causing the dome to shudder noticeably as it absorbed the impact of the wave.

Once the wave had dissipated, the dome disappeared. Ganondorf dropped down on his hands and knees, his breath coming in rough pants.

"_**Growing tired, Ganondorf?"**_ Mastermind called out. _**"Will you be the first to give in, then?"**_

"Never," Ganondorf said through gritted teeth, slowly struggling to his feet. Drawing back his right hand, he fired a small purple fireball straight at Mastermind. Scoffing in annoyance, Mastermind easily moved to one side to dodge it, getting hit by one of Mario's red fireballs as he did so. Incensed, Mastermind threw a small pulse of energy at him, only to bear the full force of one of Bowser's fireballs a second later.

"Ahh…" Ganondorf smiled. "I believe we have finally stumbled upon the strategy that we need."

The cycle continued. Mastermind would strike at one of his foes, only to miss and suffer the attacks of whoever he had turned his back on. He then immediately turned around and attacked them in turn, beginning the process yet again. To add insult to injury, Sael, Elyan, and Wario had taken to calling him names and issuing taunts as they skirted around his attack range, angering Mastermind. Reaching his limit, the immortal began launching multiple attacks at once, using pulses, waves, energy whips, energy spears, and all other sorts of constructs in the desperate hope of landing a hit. To his consternation, not only were most of the Smashers far away enough to easily dodge his attacks, but there was always at least one of them attacking him.

"How is this working?" Bowser mused out loud, puzzled. "If he's as powerful as he says he is, why can't he just wipe us all out at the same time?"

"His attention's divided," said Mayberry idly, nonchalantly reloading. "From what I gathered, he's trying to mentally construct his world at the same time that he's fighting all of us. Even for an overpowered deity like him, it's too much to think about at once. He's reacting mostly on instinct now." He indicated where Sael and Elyan were making faces at Mastermind. "Those two have the right idea. The madder they can make him, the less focused he'll be."

"You stupid stuffed shirt!" hollered Elyan, clearly enjoying himself.

"No-good blowhard!" added Sael, a slight grin on her face.

Mastermind attempted to blast them both with energy strikes, but only succeeded in increasing the frequency of their insults.

"No face man!"

"Stupid echoing voice!"

"Silly cape!"

"_**ENOUGH!"**_ Mastermind roared, slamming the ground with his fists and sending out a shockwave. Caught by surprise, the group was bowled over by the shockwave's impact, most of them landing hard on their backsides.

Mastermind clutched his head with both hands, rocking back and forth. _**"So much noise…"**_ he seethed. _**"All the noise inside my head! The planet, shifting, cracking, reforming! It must be absolutely perfect, but how can I make it perfect when I can't **_**concentrate **_**on my work? I am not used to such pain! The fire, the swords, the bullets, the magic, the **_**words**_**, the utterly irritating words! It. All. Must. STOP!"**_

Extending his arms up into the sky, Mastermind summoned as much power to his hands as they were capable of containing, his gloves sparking and fizzing with pure energy. With an ugly grimace on his mask, he began unleashing larger, more powerful versions of his regular attacks, creating gashes and indentations in the rooftop where his bursts of energy had struck.

Sael and Elyan were no longer laughing, their eyes wide with fright as they barely dodged past the ferocious attacks headed their way. _**"Not so talkative now, are we?"**_ Mastermind jeered at them. _**"You will suffer for your insults!"**_

As he prepared to fire a ball of pure white energy at them, one of Link's arrows hit him in the side of the neck. The sudden impact threw Mastermind off balance, and the energy ball evaporated into nothing. Livid, Mastermind savagely yanked the arrow out of his neck and threw it on the ground, angrily throwing an energy spear at Link.

Samus' Grapple Whip suddenly wrapped around his neck, allowing the bounty hunter to pick up Mastermind and bodily slam him against the ground repeatedly. After the third strike, Mastermind burst free of the whip, howling with a scream of pure rage. _**"!"**_

Ganondorf sidled over to Link. "I believe it may be time for the final blow, Hylian," he said quietly.

Link looked at him archly. "And you expect me to put Mastermind out of his misery for you?"

"Of course not!" Ganondorf looked affronted. "My intention was that we would aid each other in delivering the finishing strike. My magic reserves have been somewhat drained by this ordeal, and I cannot make the attack on my own."

"Good enough for me, I suppose," Link replied. "Do you have a plan?"

"Naturally." Ganondorf looked over to where Sael and Elyan were huddling together. "Operators!" he called, making them flinch at the use of their titles. "We must finish this now! Go to Wario and the detective and provide covering fire for us! Time is of the essence!"

The duo nodded, promptly running over to Mayberry and Wario and relaying Ganondorf's instructions.

"Distraction duty, eh?" Wario looked disgruntled. "Fine. Never was one fer flashy heroic fights anyways."

"I'm in, too," said Mayberry, turning to Elyan and offering one of his guns. "Take this. You'll need a weapon if you're going to be helping us."

Elyan gratefully accepted the handgun, cocking it satisfyingly.

Moving together, the four of them spread out into a line and slowly approached Mastermind, their guns at the ready. They were a few feet from where the immortal was fending off attacks from Mario, Samus, and Bowser when Mastermind spotted them, sending powerful energy strikes their way. The foursome broke apart, running in random directions and firing sporadically at Mastermind.

Trying to keep up with multiple constantly shifting targets, Mastermind's head snapped this way and that as he flung energy attacks at anything that moved.

"That should occupy him for the moment," Ganondorf observed, moving the palm of his hand towards Link. "Now, Hylian, if you would, please?"

After a moment's embittered pause, Link reluctantly placed his palm a few centimeters away from Ganondorf's in the same position as his nemesis. Light and darkness formed in the space between their hands, mixing and whirling as the two of them called their respective elements into existence. Gently coaxed by its twin masters, the spinning masses of light and darkness soon coalesced into a shining gray sphere, growing larger as more of Link and Ganondorf's magic was fed into it.

"Mario! Samus! Bowser!" Link yelled, sweat dripping down his face. "We could use your help!"

In an instant, the three of them were at their side. "What do you need from us?" Samus asked.

"Ganondorf has a plan," said Link.

"I believe that if we strike Mastermind with a sufficiently powerful attack at this juncture, it shall be enough to breach his defenses and kill him," Ganondorf explained. "My hypothesis is that an attack composed of elements from each of us would be sufficient."

Bowser chewed on his bottom lip a moment, thinking this over. "Okay, I get it. So we all give our powers to yours somehow and make a huge attack?"

"That is correct," Ganondorf answered. "Bowser, Mario, add your flames to our elemental sphere. Samus, stand behind us and be ready to fire a charged shot from your cannon when I give the word."

Samus nodded, stepping backwards until she was a comfortable distance away from the grey sphere. Mario and Bowser took positions on opposite sides of the sphere, Mario lighting up his hands and Bowser making a few warm-up puffs of smoke.

As one, Mario and Bowser let out twin streams of flame towards the sphere. The fire bands wrapped around the sphere several times before covering it completely, giving the impression that the sphere itself was on fire. The sphere swelled in size, growing larger as it merged with the fire to take on a reddish tint. Despite the successful fusion of their fire with the sphere, both of them continued to feed the flames, preventing the fire from burning itself out or separating from the sphere for even a second.

"It is time, Samus!" Ganondorf shouted. "Fire!"

Samus immediately readied a large Charge Shot, allowing the golden orb at the end of her cannon to grow as large as she could possibly make it. When she was satisfied with the Charge Shot's size, she took aim and fired, sending a blast of pure concentrated power directly into the sphere.

The sphere exploded outwards, shooting out an enormous golden beam of light straight at Mastermind.

Mayberry saw the beam coming out of the corner of his eye. "DUCK!" he yelled, dropping down low to the ground. The other three quickly followed suit, getting their bodies as close to the surface of the roof as possible.

The odd movement on the part of his attackers drew Mastermind's attention to the golden beam, moving too fast for his dulled reflexes to react. His eye holes widened, all trace of mania gone from his face mask.

"_**But…I just wanted everyone to be happy."**_

The beam punched a large hole through Mastermind's chest, continuing on into the horizon before finally disappearing. Mastermind stared down disbelievingly at the hole in his midsection before silently falling over, his cape providing a cushion for his landing.

There was a pause. No one dared move.

When it seemed that Mastermind was not going to suddenly spring to his feet and begin attacking them again, the group cautiously approached the fallen immortal, their footsteps sounding deafening in the sudden silence. They stood in a circle around Mastermind's still form, looking down at him.

"Is it over?" Elyan ventured timidly. "Is he dead?"

"_**N…no…"**_ Mastermind croaked out, causing most of the group to jump. _**"I…cannot…die…"**_

"How da 'ell is dis guy still breathin'?" Wario exclaimed in disbelief. "Dere's a enormous hole right in da middle o' his feckin' chest!"

A small smile appeared on Mastermind's mask. _**"Fool…"**_ he rasped. _**"Arcana Mejis…could not kill me. What makes you think…a ragtag group like yourselves…could accomplish…what they could not? I am already healing…from the injury…you have given me."**_

As he spoke, the jagged edges of skin surrounding the hole in his chest began to quiver and stretch, growing inwards on all sides to fill the hole completely.

"_**You have…not won,"**_ Mastermind declared. _**"You have merely…delayed…your punishment."**_

The group took a involuntary step away from him, horror etched across their faces.

Wario voiced what they were all thinking. "Aw crap."

"_**You have…attacked me,"**_ Mastermind continued, his voice growing stronger as he painstakingly raised himself into a sitting position. _**"You have egregiously deviated…from my plans. You have almost caused the destruction…of my new world. This is unforgivable. Once my strength…has returned to me, you will know pain…as you never have before."**_

"What do we do now?" Link murmured anxiously to Ganondorf. "We just hit him with our most powerful attack, and all it did was slow him down."

Ganondorf did not react to his question in the slightest, instead stepping up to Mastermind and fixing him with a cool, steely look. "Your threats mean nothing to me, Mastermind."

"_**And why is that?"**_ Mastermind inquired, a knowing smile on his face. _**"Do you somehow believe that you alone can withstand the power of the very being that created you?"**_

"Not in the slightest," said Ganondorf airily. "Although your ability to heal had me at a loss for a brief moment, the obvious solution made itself apparent soon enough. Ironically, it was you yourself that pointed me towards the answer, albeit unintentionally."

"_**How?"**_ Mastermind asked, looking genuinely baffled. _**"What did I say?"**_

"You mentioned Arcana Mejis," Ganondorf clarified. "If I recall your recount of your experiences with them correctly, they were the first to face you in combat and encountered precisely the same scenario that we now face." He paused significantly, his hands beginning to swirl with the remnants of his dark magic. "And seeing as the solution they used proved to be quite effective in solving the problem, there is no reason why it should not work a second time."

Mastermind's mouth hole dropped open as the full ramifications of what Ganondorf was saying washed over him. He began to scuttle away from Ganondorf in a crab-walk position, his limbs shaking in pure terror. _**"No! Not that! You cannot subject me to that again! Please, no!"**_

Ganondorf stalked towards the terrified immortal, his magicked hands glowing at his sides. Not one ounce of pity or compassion was visible in his burning red eyes.

"_**It is like death for me!" **_Mastermind exclaimed, still scrabbling backwards as fast as he could go. _**"I will accept any other punishment! Please, spare me this!"**_

Mastermind abruptly stopped in place as he reached the edge of the roof, his hands briefly scrabbling in midair before gripping onto the side of the roof. Ganondorf halted in his tracks as well, lifting the immortal into the air with a single phrase in Old Hylian.

Standing a foot behind the Gerudo king, Link raised his hand and allowed more of his magic to flow into his nemesis, his face devoid of emotion.

His hands now tingling with power, Ganondorf began to recite phrase after phrase in Old Hylian, the magic contained in his hands swirling faster and faster the more he read.

Floating prostrate in midair, Mastermind regarded his children with a look of despairing incredulity. _**"Why?"**_ he almost sobbed. _**"I was going to spare you all! We would have shared paradise together! It was your destiny!"**_

"Nobody decides what our destiny us but us," Link cut in harshly.

"You may have created us, but you don't control us," stated Bowser.

"You've put us through too much to expect any sympathy," said Samus.

"This ends-a now," said Mario.

Spitting out the last few words to the incantation, Ganondorf thrust both hands forward and let the enchantment wash over the immortal. As Mastermind gave his last scream of anguish, his body, now glowing with the magic coursing around it, split into two halves. Under Ganondorf's direction and guidance, the halves reformed into the shapes of two giant gloved hands, one whimpering softly and the other giggling like a maniac.

Ganondorf swept his arms outward, muttering one last Old Hylian incantation under his breath. Large golden chains ripped through the dimensional wall and wrapped themselves securely around the reborn Master Hand and Crazy Hand. Their targets secure, the chains began to retract, dragging the wailing and thrashing Hands back through the dimensional tear, which closed up behind them.

Silence fell.

"That should do it," said Ganondorf, dusting himself off.

"H-how did you-" Elyan managed, slightly awed.

"I reinstated the curse upon Mastermind that trapped him within the forms of the Hands. The two of them are bound to Final Destination once more, and the chains you just saw – my own personal addition to the enchantment – shall ensure that they remain there for a long while to come," Ganondorf explained.

Suddenly, Mastermind's tower started to shake and quiver, causing most of the group to fall over due to their sudden loss of balance. All of the landmarks in the distance were undergoing similar tremors, most of them either collapsing in on themselves or just disintegrating completely. Tears in the dimensional barrier began to appear, showing faint, colorful images too blurred to fully make out.

"What's happening?" Sael shouted over the noise, clinging tightly to Elyan.

Ganondorf uttered a curse in the Gerudo tongue. "Mastermind must have been the sole driving force that kept this world intact! Now that he has departed from here, the planet and its entire dimension will be destroyed within minutes!"

"What, again?" said Wario incredulously. "Damn, you must've set a record fer destroyin' planets by accident."

Samus averted her eyes.

"We have to get out of here!" Link yelled, gesturing with the Master Sword. "Everyone, follow me!"

The group ran as fast as their legs could carry them, making it all the way to the other end of the roof, down the stairs and out the door before the tower caved in on itself.

Eyeing the growing cracks in the ground, the nine of them continued their high speed escape through the endless plain of what were now ruins, taking care to avoid any of the growing holes or trenches in their path. Eventually, the group found themselves at a dead end atop a cliff, the rapidly fragmenting dimensional wall no more than a few meters away from them. Crumbling ground surrounded them on all sides, preventing them from moving anywhere else.

"So what now?" asked Bowser. "Is this it for us?"

"Not necessarily," said Ganondorf, peering at the indistinct shapes within the dimensional tears. "I did not steer us to this location purely by chance, after all."

"So you have a plan?" Link questioned, shooting him a critical look.

Instead of answering him directly, Ganondorf gestured towards the tears. "Examine the sights visible within the holes, if you would, and alert me if what you see is familiar to you."

Mayberry shaded his eyes with one hand, looking closely at the red shapes within one particular tear. "Wait a second…those sort of look like fire trucks. I'm not positive, but I think this is Earth."

"And there's-a the Hands!" said Mario excitedly, pointing at two white blobs on a dark background. "It's-a Final Destination!"

"These tears are gateways to other universes," Samus theorized aloud. "So that means…"

"We can go home!" Sael said joyfully, almost jumping up and down with glee. "We can all go home!"

There was a general outpouring of relief and good cheer at this statement, as the group's abrupt change in fortune fully sunk in for them. Much wiping of brows and sighs of relief were had, the adventure already over in some minds. The only one not celebrating was Elyan, staring at the ground despondently and fiddling with Mayberry's handgun.

"What is it, Elyan?" Sael questioned, her big brown eyes shining with concern.

Elyan raised his eyes to meet hers. "It's Jeremy," he said quietly. "He wants to go to Earth, and I want to go to the Smash World. One of us isn't going home."

A hush fell over the group. Mario, Link, and Samus looked at him in sympathy, while Bowser and Wario scratched their heads.

"Who's Jeremy again?" Wario said confusedly. "Did I miss somethin', or what?"

"He's Elyan's original personality who Elyan is now sharing a body with," Link explained without looking at him. "It's a long story," he added before Wario could say anything else.

"If I may cut in," Ganondorf said smoothly, "I have a suggestion to offer. If the problem is two souls with differing desires residing within the same body, then the answer would be to remove one of the souls and bring it along with us."

Elyan's brow furrowed. "Would that really work?"

"I believe that the Hylian and myself have enough magic remaining between ourselves to perform the procedure, yes," Ganondorf replied.

"Fine, then," Elyan said determinedly. "I'll do it."

_You're really willing to give up having a body?_ Jeremy questioned within his mind, his incredulity obvious.

_If it means I get to go back to the Smash World? Absolutely,_ Elyan thought back to him. _Besides, it's not like the Smashers can't just build me a new body._

Jeremy laughed. _Your world is a very interesting place, Elyan._

"I get to go with him, right?" Sael questioned, looking around at the others.

"Um, I don't think so," said Mayberry cautiously. "I read your file. You've got a family waiting for you back on Earth, and they will want their daughter back."

"But I'm _not_ their daughter!" Sael protested. "I'm Sael! And I want to be with Elyan!"

"We could just perform the same soul-extraction spell on her that we're going to use on Elyan," Link pointed out.

"I don't know," said Mayberry doubtfully. "Aren't you technically committing murder by doing that? It seems pretty unethical to me."

"Unlike Elyan, Sael's original personality no longer exists within her body," said Samus. "For all intents and purposes, she's already dead. Sael's just been walking around inside her corpse."

Mayberry winced. "Fine, fine. Let's just do it."

"Excellent," said Ganondorf. "Operators, please join hands and relax yourselves. This shall only take a moment."

Sael and Elyan did as they were told, intertwining their hands and closing their eyes. Waving his arms, Ganondorf summoned the last of his magic and sent tiny pulses of energy inside their mouths, the miniscule sparks swiftly vanishing down their throats.

With one simultaneous exhale, Sael and Elyan expelled twin orbs of light, each the size of a softball. The two souls floated away from their bodies and towards Ganondorf, who allowed them to drift around his shoulder region.

Devoid of consciousness, Sael and Elyan's bodies promptly keeled over. Mayberry and Samus caught them before they hit the ground, Mayberry grabbing Sael while Samus handled Elyan.

"Jeremy?" Samus said softly, gently shaking Elyan's body. "Jeremy, can you hear me?"

Green eyes fluttered open. "It worked," said Jeremy, smiling up at Samus as she helped him to his feet. "I'm back."

"Hate to interrupt, but I don't think this place is going to last much longer!" Bowser called out worriedly, watching a temple fall apart. "If we're going to leave, we need to do it now!"

Spurred into action, the group separated into two. Mayberry and Jeremy headed for the Earth gateway on the left side of the cliff, the detective carrying Sael's body with him bridal style, while the Smashers approached the Smash World gateway on the right side.

"I guess this is goodbye," Mayberry called over, dipping his head in farewell.

"Goodbye, Elyan!" Jeremy said with a sad smile. "I won't forget you!"

"_Goodbye, Jeremy,"_ said one of the souls in Elyan's voice. _"I won't forget you, either."_

With scattered waves and farewells exchanged by both groups, Mayberry and Jeremy went first, leaping off the cliff and straight through the Earth gateway. The Smashers launched themselves en masse into the Smash World gateway, the two souls barely keeping up as they vanished into the portal along with them.

In a howl of noise, the New World of Mastermind completely imploded, the meticulously crafted planet returning to the dust from whence it came.

There was nothing left to indicate that it had ever existed at all.

* * *

-World: Earth-

* * *

The silver gate stood spotless and gleaming, still quietly humming amidst the wreckage of the warehouse surrounding it. Yellow police line blocked off the entire area, tied to hastily erected poles and flapping in the cool midafternoon wind. A crowd of reporters and curious bystanders had gathered just outside the police line, looking at the gate with expressions of wonder and puzzlement. Two fire trucks were parked across the street, the firemen ready to handle anything that might arise.

Near the front were Alicia, Easton, Zeke, Stanton, and Jessica's stepmother and father, gazing intently at the gate in between comforting one another.

Zeke played with his suit lapels, giving the gate a once-over for the thousandth time. "This definitely isn't where I thought I'd be today," he said out loud to no one in particular. "I mean, my line of work, you see some crazy things, sure, but never anything like this. I feel like I'm in a damn Twilight Zone episode."

"You should come work for the government," Easton said wryly. "Strange is normal for us." He cocked his head, looking at Zeke quizzically. "Hey, aren't you on our list for tax evasion?"

Zeke smiled nervously. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he lied, moving further back into the crowd.

Without warning, the gate came back to life, the white sphere appearing once more as the gate hummed loudly. The crowd shrank back, watching the gate warily.

Mayberry and Jeremy fell through the side of the sphere, landing painfully on the gate's ramp. The detective was clutching Jessica's still body as tightly to him as possible, while Jeremy was curled up in the fetal position. The gate powered down as quickly as it had restarted, its hum abruptly cutting out.

"SAEL!" Stanton cried out in horror, ducking under the police line and running over to the gate. Michelle and Matthew were right behind them, their faces screwed up with anguish at the sight of their daughter's prone form. Alicia, Zeke, and Easton followed the three of them, lightly jogging to keep up with Jessica's frantic parents.

Stanton reached the gate first, hopping up onto the ramp and taking Jessica's body into his arms. "Sael, can you hear me? Sael? Sael!"

"Get out of the way, that's my daughter!" Michelle snapped, rudely pushing Stanton off to one side as she looked over at her stepdaughter. "Jessica?" she said, her voice thick. "Jessica, honey? Please wake up. Please. You can be anyone you want to be, you hear me? Anyone at all. I don't care anymore. Please wake up, Jessica. Please."

Mayberry got to his feet, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, ma'am. She's gone."

"_NOOO!_" Michelle howled, turning and beating Mayberry's chest with her fists. "This is your fault! You did this! You killed her, you monster! You killed her!"

Mayberry didn't attempt to dodge or defend himself, letting her beat him as much as she liked. Eventually, Michelle's yells of anger gave way to long, choked-out sobs as she leaned against the detective for support. Mayberry wrapped his arms around her and held her, standing perfectly still as she cried into his shoulder.

Stanton walked up to him, his face drawn and lined. "How did she die?" he asked raggedly.

"It was an accident," Mayberry answered, a lump in his throat. "By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. We couldn't do anything to help her. I'm very sorry, sir."

"I see," said Stanton, his eyes downcast.

"If it helps," Mayberry offered, "she's in a better world now."

Stanton considered this. "Thank you, sir."

He inclined his head respectfully towards Mayberry before walking back to Jessica's father.

Michelle finally pulled herself away from the detective's embrace. "If you'll excuse me," she said with quiet dignity, "I need to go call an ambulance for my daughter."

Mayberry briefly watched her leave, contemplating saying something else, before looking over at Jeremy. The boy had reunited with Alicia, pulling her into a tight hug and murmuring about how much he had missed her.

Alicia pulled back, cradling his face in her hands. "Jer, what's going on? Is Sael really dead? What happened to her? Where did you go? How does Elyan feel about this?"

"Slow down, Leesh," Jeremy replied, grinning at her. "Elyan's gone. He and Sael went back to the Smashers' world. I'm in control again, permanently this time."

With a cry of happiness, Alicia pulled him into another hug.

Mayberry continued to watch the two of them until a finger tapped on his shoulder. Turning, Mayberry found himself face-to-face with a relieved-looking Easton.

"It's good to see you, Sam," Easton said warmly. "I imagine you have quite the story for us."

Mayberry smiled faintly. "You're right on that one."

"You okay, Sam?" Zeke piped up from behind Easton, scurrying forward and examining his friend closely. "You look like a dead man walking."

Mayberry uttered a small laugh. "Zeke, I just barely escaped the destruction of an entire universe. At this point, adrenaline is the only thing keeping me from sleeping away the rest of the month."

Zeke whistled. "Damn, you never catch a break, do you? How 'bout you tell me everything over a few beers?"

"Sounds great, but I have a few things to take care of here first." Mayberry turned back to Easton. "You're going to destroy that thing, right?" he asked, jerking his thumb at the gate.

Easton nodded. "As soon as we can get this crowd away, I'm going to send in a team to disassemble the gate and take it away for study. They shouldn't be more than a few hours-"

"No," Mayberry interrupted, his eyes hard. "No studying. No trying to recreate it. Destroy it, Easton. It's too dangerous. You don't want to know what almost happened inside there."

Easton blinked, startled. "Very well," he said after a moment. "I trust your judgment. I'll have them destroy it."

"Good," Mayberry exhaled loudly in relief, straightening up a second later. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot something. Hey, kid!" he called over to Jeremy. "Mind giving me my gun back now?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Jeremy ran over and handed Mayberry back his handgun, which the detective pocketed.

Zeke's eyes were as wide as saucers. "You let a kid borrow one of your guns? You _never_ let anyone borrow your guns! What _happened_ in there, Sam?"

Mayberry smiled, clapping Zeke on the back and leading him down the sidewalk. "Well, first I wake up and I see the Taj Mahal…"

* * *

-World: Master World-

* * *

Mario, Link, Samus, Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario all flew through the portal, landing in a heap upon the metallic floor. The souls of Sael and Elyan floated after them, hovering above the group. After taking a moment to reorient themselves, the group disentangled themselves from one another and struggled to their feet.

Final Destination hadn't changed much since their last visit, the small platform in the midst of a distorting dimension seeming almost comfortable to them after the unpredictability of Earth. The only things out of place were the chained Master Hand and Crazy Hand, still struggling vainly against the bonds attaching them to the platform.

Hastily sidestepping around the shaking gold chains, the Smashers made their way over to the other side of the platform and peered over the edge.

"Does anyone see the portal to the Smash World?" Bowser asked hesitantly.

"There it is!" Mario shouted, pointing at a fuzzy patch of darkness far below where they were standing.

"Hmm," Samus said, squinting at it. "That _might_ be the portal; it's hard to tell from here. I'll scan it and see how safe-"

Fixated on the portal and not hearing a word she was saying, Mario stepped off the side of the platform, falling into the portal and vanishing from sight.

The others stared in shock at where he had disappeared. "Well, I guess we're just following him, then," Samus deadpanned.

The five of them dropped one by one into the portal after him, the Sael and Elyan souls slowly descending after them.

* * *

-World: Smash World-

* * *

Link slipped through the other side of the portal and promptly landed face-first in a pile of snow. Choking and spluttering, he lifted himself off the pile of slush and began to brush snow from his face and clothes. Around him, the others were helping one another out of snowbanks and cleaning sleet from themselves. The souls of Sael and Elyan drifted around from place to place, exploring their new location while still remaining close to one another.

"Snow…" Link murmured aloud, letting some of the white fluff slip through his fingers to the icy ground below. "We're back on the mountain."

"So it seems," Samus said, peering out through the swathes of clouds ringing the mountaintop and examining the surrounding countryside. "Let me just make sure."

The familiar shape of the Smash Mansion was visible off in the distance, easily identifiable against the backdrop of featureless green prairie.

"It's the Mansion," Samus choked out, her eyes wide. "We-we made it."

"We're-a home! We're-a home!" Mario cried out joyfully, punching the air and grinning from ear to ear. Link and Samus smiled and laughed along with him, their relief palpable now that their destination was finally within reach. The three of them gazed longingly out at the Mansion, their minds filled with thoughts of reunion with their loved ones.

Noticing movement out of the corner of his eye, Link turned around to see Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario attempting to edge away from them and sneak around the side of the mountain. "Oh no you don't, Ganondorf!" Link roared, charging at the villains with his sword held high.

Their heads snapping around at the sound of Link's shout, Mario and Samus quickly evaluated the situation and headed after him, the Sael and Elyan souls flitting close behind them.

"Aw crap," moaned Wario, catching sight of the furious hero running straight for them and motioning frantically to Bowser and Ganondorf. "Change of plans! Leg it!"

The three of them began running as fast as they could towards the other side of the mountain, all attempts at stealth gone.

Spotting a large patch of snow right above where the villains were running, Samus rapidly formulated a plan in her mind. After readying a Charge Shot, she shot it off directly at the patch of snow. The shot's impact triggered an explosion of white slush, sending a mini-avalanche down onto the villains and instantly burying them in snow.

Link flashed her a smile. "Good thinking."

Samus accepted his compliment with a nod, the hints of a smirk on her face. "Thanks. I do try."

Mario, Link, and Samus slowly walked up to the newly formed pile of snow on the ground, which the villains were just barely starting to wriggle out of. The three of them readied their weapons challengingly, warning the villains not to try anything else.

Wario squinted up at them. "Can I just make one request 'ere?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "What kind of request?"

"No ice puns," Wario pleaded. "Dere's nothin' I hate more den bein' defeated an' havin' ta listen ta bad puns. It's humiliatin'."

Summoning the last of his magic reserves, Link conjured three long strands of rope and started shaping them into loops. "Come quietly and there will be no puns made whatsoever, ice-related or otherwise."

Wario obligingly stuck his hands out of the snow, allowing himself to be tied up. "Deal."

"You and your big mouth," Bowser groaned from inside the snow pile.

* * *

Over the course of the next several days, the Smashers made their way down the mountain with the three tied-up villains and two floating souls in tow, making camp wherever they could find space. After a little over a week of freezing nights and long, hard days, the group finally made it to the plains at the base of the mountain. From there it was just a few more days to the Smash Mansion, accomplished through hours and hours of ceaseless running on the part of the Smashers. The anticipation was running high by this point, and none present wanted to reach the Mansion as badly as Mario, Link, and Samus.

Finally, the three of them stepped onto the front porch with the Sael and Elyan souls alongside them, the villains reluctantly bringing up the rear.

With shaking fingers, Link pressed the doorbell.

Roy happened to be the closest to the door when the bell sounded, promptly changing course and jogging over to the ornate door. He flung the door open, his mouth dropping open when he saw who it was.

The group looked drained, gaunt, and ready to fall down from exhaustion at any minute, and yet their faces were the most welcome things Roy had seen in a long time.

He stood and stared at them, a massive grin spreading across his face. Then he started to shout.

"HEY EVERYBODY! GET DOWN HERE, NOW! THERE'S SOMETHING HERE YOU'LL WANT TO SEE!" Roy had a loud voice when he wanted to, and now it echoed through the building.

The first person to appear was Zelda - her teleportation spell made her one of the fastest among them. She stopped in her tracks - much as Roy had - and looked at them. "Samus... Mario! You're all..." Her eyes landed on Link, and she gave him a shaky smile.

"Link..." She moved faster than anyone had ever seen her move in a dress before, crossing the space between herself and her husband. Link swept Zelda up in his arms, tears trickling down his face. Her dress belled out as he swung her around in pure joy, and she wrapped her arms around him and held on like she would never let go.

"Hey..." Link said softly, holding her close. "We're back, Zel."

She put her hand on his cheek. "You look so tired... let me help you." Magic flowed through her palm and Link closed his eyes and smiled as his tired body eagerly drank up the energy she gave him.

"Ahh... thank you." He had more color in his cheeks when he opened his blue eyes again. "The Goddesses only know how much I missed you."

Others came hurtling down the stairs and from other rooms as Zelda pulled Link out of the doorway and the two kissed. The Smashers who had remained gathered around the three, asking questions in rapid-fire voices and reuniting with their friends.

Luigi clasped his brother in a hug as Yoshi danced around them. Nana and Popo badgered Samus for stories of her adventure. Roy grinned at Link and Zelda before catching Samus' attention and doing a little questioning himself.

Noticing Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario attempting to edge out the door in the commotion, Mewtwo strung a wall of psychic power over the door, blocking the second covert escape attempt of the three bound villains. He wrapped the energy around them, silently restraining them and allowing the joyous reunion to continue without interruption.

Link caught Mewtwo's eye and grinned his thanks. Mewtwo only nodded and whispered into Link's mind. _I trust your judgment._

Ike carried Peach's prone form up a set of stairs to them. "She fainted," he explained. "I think she hasn't been sleeping well. She's okay, though - really."

Mario walked over to Ike and took Peach from his arms, setting her softly down. "Peach? Can-a you hear me?"

She opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, tears beginning to flow from her eyes as she buried her face in Mario's shoulder. "You're home," she choked out.

"We're-a home." he repeated, stroking her hair lovingly, clasping his arm around her waist and holding her close.

Samus came and crouched by them. "You alright, Peach?"

"Mm. Yeah. I'm okay." Peach let go of Mario to embrace her friend. "I'm more worried about you. You're hurt!"

"Just a few dents," Samus said with a grin. "My suit needs repairs but I'm just fine." She patted Peach on the back. When the princess let go, Samus got to her feet again.

Ike tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, he grabbed her in a rough hug.

"Apparently you missed me." Samus grinned behind her helmet, returning the hug with a not-so-gentle one of her own.

He looked her over worriedly as they parted. "You sure none of those go deeper than the suit?"

Samus shook her head with a warm smile. "Nah. Give me food and a bed and I'll be back to myself in a couple of days."

Ike put his hands on her helmet and lifted gently. She hit the release switch and let him put it aside and look at her with a sad smile. "I thought you were going to die," he said, almost conversationally. "Occupational hazard, I know, but... don't do it any time soon. Losing people is not something I want to repeat."

"Can't get rid of me that easily." Samus said, the smile becoming a smirk.

"Good." Ike kissed her.

Marth grinned at Link, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good to see you again."

"Yeah." Link grinned back. "You too."

Marth looked around at Samus, Mario and back to Link. The shouting and chattering had died down slightly, but the smiles hadn't left everyone's faces. "You three look like you need food and beds," he said.

"We spent six days in little cells alone with nothing but beds," Samus said with a smile. "If it's all the same I think I'll sleep in the grass outside." Link and Mario agreed enthusiastically.

"First, though, we've got some things to deal with." Marth waved his hand at Ganondorf, Bowser and Wario. Then he noticed the two balls of light hanging close together above them. "And... what are those?"

"Sael and Elyan," said Samus. "They need a little... help. Bodiless again. I can fix that... just give me some time to sleep first."

"Mewtwo, there's a place downstairs where we can keep these three until we decide what to do with them." Marth said. Mewtwo nodded and focused further - he, Marth and the three villains disappeared.

R.O.B. rolled over to Sael and Elyan. **"I will construct a receptor for the Sael and Elyan units to rest in until construction of artificial bodies begins,"** he said flatly. The two balls of light drifted down to hover by the robot, and he rolled away with them in tow.

"I-I can make... something for you to eat." Peach stood up and smiled at Mario, Link and Samus.

"I just-a want to rest for now," Mario said, taking her hand with a warm smile. "That sounds-a wonderful, but I'm-a just exhausted."

"Rest sounds... good," Samus said, rubbing her forehead wearily.

Ike looked worriedly at her and reached out, half lifting her into his arms.

"I can walk. Don't make me use my last bomb on you." She grinned.

"Right." Ike held his hands up. "Got it." He was grinning.

"Actually, a long nap under the trees outside... sounds lovely, right about now." Zelda took Link's hand. "Mind if I join you?"

Link smiled. "Yes. That'd be nice."

The little group wandered off together, talking in slightly subdued voices as adrenaline faded into weariness. Smiles were on all faces, glad to be reunited once more.

* * *

"How a person masters his fate is more important than what his fate is."

-Wilhelm von Humboldt

* * *

U92: Whew, this sure was a long one. Was it not epic enough to be a final battle?

I really hope the inclusion of the Master Frame doesn't feel too out of place for anyone. I just wanted to add something that would mix up the fight scene a little and make this chapter longer. See, the one thing I was constantly concerned about in this chapter was whether the final fight was too short. Short is generally not epic.

I HATE writing nine-on-one fight scenes. Writing a one-on-one battle is so much easier then scrambling for more variations of "everybody attacks this one guy at once". Compare the fight scenes in Chapter 21 with the fight scenes here.

Writing Mastermind is a tricky balance. I have to make him powerful enough to be a reasonable threat, but also weak enough that the Smashers can actually beat him. Even now, I'm not sure if I pulled it off.

Huh. I just noticed that the final Mastermind fight happens in stages, just like a video game boss fight. Did it seem appropriate to you?

Did Mastermind go nuts too fast? Like I said, I never can tell.

Samus' Charge Shot in this chapter is meant to resemble her Final Smash. I thought that would be a neat little in-joke for anyone who recognizes it.

Something that I just happened to notice while writing this all out is that in situations where everyone has to work together, there's a little tension between Link and Ganondorf over who gets to lead. Wholly unintentional on my part, but it fits in very well with the way I characterize them.

It wasn't until after I'd written it that I realized that the golden chains binding the Hands are kind of like the golden chains used on Master Hand in the Subspace Emissary. You can picture them as looking them same if you want, but I prefer to picture them as large golden chain links wrapping around the Hands so tight it seems like they're being choked.

Gee, that cliff takes an awfully long time to fall apart. Uhh…Talking Is A Free Action? (sweatdrops)

Good God, there is _so much talking_ in this chapter. When the hell is "show, don't tell" going to sink in for me?

"Sael's just been walking around inside her corpse." Yeesh, I didn't mean to put it that harshly! Sorry for making one of your plot points seem horrifying in retrospect, Sue2!

It occurred to me the other day that Ganondorf is voiced by David Kaye, yessssssssss. Does that seem like a reasonable choice? (If you've never seen _Beast Wars_, I highly encourage you to do so. It is AWESOME.)

The mountain is a reference to the end of Sue2's _Unity_, so don't worry about missing something if you haven't read it.

Any sci-fi geeks catch the _Red Dwarf_ reference in this chapter?

If there's anything at all in the ending that surprised you, let us know. We love hearing that our stories aren't predictable.

Sue2: And there we go. Down, but not out - isn't that always the way. xD Ah, Mastermind. It's always true with the big scary powerful folks - they just can't take pressure sometimes! Looks like this fanfic is drawing to a close, but we're not out yet!

REVIEW!


	24. Life Continued

U92: At long last, the end is here! Sorry to everyone we kept waiting!

Sue2: So here's the end. Sorry for the long time spent, but here you go. I'm terrible with AN's, so I have two things to say - 1, NANORIMO! WOO! 2, Enjoy the fruits of our labor.

On with the fic!

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Three-

_Life Continued_

* * *

-Two Weeks Later-

* * *

"_It's a God-awful small affair  
To the girl with the mousey hair…_

* * *

It had been quite a burden on Jeremy to find out his friend was not coming back, that Jessica was dead and Sael was all that was left of her. She had been quite the girl. Though she and Jeremy had never dated - nor even considered it - he counted her one of the closest friends he had.

He had come to terms with the idea but the sight of her gravestone still brought tears to his eyes as he crouched beside it.

"God damn it," he muttered. The words felt harsh as they slipped from his tongue. "Why did Sael have to be the one that lived?"

Alicia put a hand on his back. "You don't mean that."

"Damn right I do. It was Jess's life and Jess's world." Jeremy crossed his arms, glowering at the gravestone. "She should have been the one to come back to it. Sael didn't deserve it - all she did was whine and miss her own world and be overdramatic. Jess would've made the best of the situation. How can that girl be her?"

"They've had different lives. People get damaged and strengthened by how they live."

"That doesn't make it right."

Alicia hugged him. "I think I can agree with how you feel, Jer, but it'll be alright. You don't have to hate like that or hold onto it so hard. We've still got each other."

"Mm." Jeremy didn't say anything. It was hard to hate someone with Jessica's face but he did.

Alicia seemed to read his mind. "Think about Jessica instead then. She wouldn't want you to sit her glowering at her gravestone like you wanted her dead. C'mon, Mr. Stanton and Mr. Mayberry are here too. Maybe we can piece together a little more of this story, huh? Besides, neither of them ever knew Jess. Maybe you could tell 'em about her."

Jeremy's lips twitched, and his bitterness faded - something his sister had always been able to do to him. "... yeah."

* * *

_But her mummy is yelling "No"  
And her daddy has told her to go…_

* * *

Michelle clutched her husband, both of them crying softly as they stood over the grave. Jessica was gone for good now - no chance of ever having her back.

"I'm sorry," Matthew whispered softly.

"I am too." Michelle pulled out of the hug, looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"A better world," Matthew said again. The two had clung to the phrase that Mayberry had uttered to Stanton when he had returned with their daughter's body. It took some of the edge off, gave them a soft idea that she was safe and happy, something to lessen the tears. They had only been lightly religious before this but it was nice to imagine that their daughter was among angels.

It had taken so long to decide the words that now spoke of her life to the world from her tombstone. They had spoken to Jeremy and Alicia, Stanton, Jessica's old school friends, and strained their own minds until they had found it.

_Jessica_

_She would run to the end of the world for you and love you like you were an angel._

_Give her what she needed and she would return the favor -_

_If you were afraid of the dark, she would bring you the stars to light your way._

_She was always searching for something - undoubtedly she's found it now._

Again, there was the soft idea that she had merely gone home rather than disappeared in death. Mayberry had said it and that was what he maintained, and that was what they wanted to believe. It was better that way.

Matthew gave a bit of a smile as he pointed to the third line of the message on her gravestone. "She tried, you know. To bring me the stars. When she was barely three." He brought a white pebble out of his pocket and held it up - it glittered and shone in the sunlight.

Michelle began to cry once more, unable to hold it back.

* * *

_But a friend is nowhere to be seen  
Now she walks through a sunken dream_

_To the seat with the clearest view  
And she's hooked to the silver screen…_

* * *

Gods, she hadn't slept so deeply since... Peach didn't remember. She lay in her bed, warm in the sunlight and full of bubbling happiness and the beautiful feeling of the easing of nerves that had chafed since the accident with the portal that had taken her best friends and her love away from her. It had been this way for everyone - after the missing Smashers had arrived home there had been a slow easing of fear and unhappiness. It had taken them nearly a week to realize fully that there was no more danger.

Bowser, Ganondorf and Wario were locked up in cells in a lower part of the mansion after their third escape attempt during the reunion. Peach had gone down to speak to Bowser, but the conversation had been awkward and the two had barely been able to look at each other. Ganondorf's and Wario's comments had not made things any easier, but Peach understood that the two of them thought her something faintly ridiculous, and the same of Bowser because he cared for her.

Driven to near-tears by unhappiness and chafing awkwardness, she had left the room and sought solace in Mario's embrace.

And she had found it - Mario had missed her as much as she had him. They had cuddled close and he had recounted his adventure just once. Instead of going over the things that had happened to them in the Smash World, they decided to remember the past. Good times that they had shared, dancing and walking together and little adventures that had been gentle and not full of fear. Reminiscing seemed to be the balm that soothed both frazzled, worn-out people, and they had fallen asleep tucked up together on a soft chair.

The others sorted out their anxiety and fear in their own ways - Link went to almost ridiculous ends to surprise Zelda, to make her laugh and make her happy, taking to the task of making up for lost time with his usual drive and determination but a good deal more laughter. The almost maniac energy seen in Ike when the others were gone had faded, and he was almost as tired as Samus - when she wasn't working and they weren't sparring they spent most of their time dozing.

The happiness of a mission being over had returned to the Smash Mansion, and it seemed like there was a spring in everyone's step - including Sael and Elyan's. Their finished bodies, copies of the originals, had taken some trial-and-error on Samus and ROB's part, but had worked out just fine. The two were perhaps the happiest of anyone to be returned to their world and their friends, and took to testing the limits of their new bodies with a will. Sael talked Roy into teaching her better fighting tactics and learned to tumble and leap from Samus. Working out the tension with Elyan with an explanation that she wanted to be strong, Sael took to learning to fight properly with a will. Elyan decided to pursue something a little quieter, and spent a lot of time in the library.

* * *

_But the film is a saddening bore  
For she's lived it ten times or more…_

_

* * *

_

They sat together amidst the books, leaning peacefully against each other as they talked.

"We can't stay here forever," Elyan said softly.

"Why not?" Sael asked. "I mean, not forever, but for some time. They're our friends."

"It's true, but we owe them so much already..." Elyan's face was thoughtful.

Sael looked closely at him and suddenly giggled. "You want to be self-sufficient again, don't you?"

Elyan smiled a little and looked at his hands. "When I was with Alicia I owed her, but I was able to do things around her house and learn things so I could repay her. But here, there's no chance to repay them - they won't let me."

"Oh." Sael looked at him almost in wonder, discovering something new about her love. "Hm. I didn't know you took debt so seriously."

He shrugged again, saying nothing.

Sael thought, resting her chin in one hand and tugging a strand of her hair with the other. Suddenly, her face lit up. "Elyan!"

He looked up, curious and lightly concerned. "What is it?"

She laughed. "What we haven't been thinking of! There's a whole world here, and a thousand others connected to it! And we know a portal when we see one!" A grin came to his face as she continued. "There's a thousand worlds out there, and a million adventures on every single world! We can explore and learn new things and fix things we broke when we worked for IO."

His face lit up like hers. "Sael, that sounds perfect..."

She laughed and kissed him, then grabbed his hand. "C'mon! We can leave tomorrow morning if we get at it now! We can find backpacks and one of those maps that Marth has. We can make a story of our own and we'll be the heroes."

She towed him out of the library with an energy that filled her and leaked into him - they practically flew up the stairs and to find the others.

* * *

_She could spit in the eyes of fools  
As they ask her to focus on  
Sailors fighting in the dance hall…  
_

* * *

"We'll talk about that in a few minutes," Marth said to Sael with a bit of a smile. "I'll find you your map once we finish dealing with the three downstairs, alright? It shouldn't take too long." he looked at the others, gathered around in a solemn discussion before Sael and Elyan had burst in. "Well, we'd better go and tell them what we've decided. Who's coming with me?"

Those who tended to tangle most with the three villains in the cells volunteered. Peach and Mario, along with Luigi and Yoshi. Link and Zelda came as well.

"Might as well see this through." Samus shrugged and got to her feet.

_I'll assist you as well,_ Mewtwo said, lifting lightly out of the chair he sat in to float to their side.

Many of the others declined, knowing that too many people could make a task even more difficult. The small group left the council and went down to the lower floor, where the villains had been locked up.

Peach reached the door first. Her face was sad as she laid her hand on the knob and softly opened it - she didn't like the fact that this had to happen. "Are you sure they can't..." her voice trailed off and she stood as if frozen in the doorway.

"Peach? What's-a wrong?" Mario came to her side.

Peach moved into the room with numb steps. Mario followed. Behind them, someone cursed quietly.

Each cell had been blown apart in what seemed to be a massive explosion of combined energies. Even the walls between them had fallen, leaving merely a large indent in the side of the room, with a huge hole in the wall.

They walked up to the destroyed cells as if in a dream.

Zelda wordlessly stared at a message carved into what was left of one of the walls.

_Hylian,_

_As you are no doubt aware of by now, we have chosen not to accept whatever sentence you decide to impose upon us. Bowser, Wario, and myself have made a mutual decision to escape our imprisonment and seek our fortunes elsewhere. We will not be returning._

_It is our view that perpetuating the conflict between the three of us and your alliance of Smashers is purposeless and futile, as all parties involved are functionally immortal and almost indestructible. We have also reasoned that there is little to be gained from conquering a world that is as small and sparse as this one. Therefore, we have elected to permanently depart from your lives. You shall no longer need to concern yourselves with us, and we shall no longer concern ourselves with you. For all intents and purposes, our war is over._

_Do not attempt to find us. Though the idea may seem positively ludicrous, we only desire peace in our newfound freedom. Leave us be, if only to save yourselves further stress._

_I am well aware of what you must be thinking as you read this message, Hylian. Rest assured that I have not forgotten about the bond of destiny that binds us together. At some point in the future, we will meet again on the field of battle. I will fight you and I will _win_. Hyrule shall know its true master eventually._

_Farewell, Link. I wish you and your princess many more years of deluded idealism together._

_As always,_

_Ganondorf_

Link looked at the letter, reading it in his careful manner. The moment he'd finished he turned towards the hole in the wall. "Should we..."

"It's been an hour since these were made," Samus said softly. "They'll be long gone by now."

"Excuse... excuse me." Peach turned away, her dress swishing as she left the room.

"Peach!" Mario chased after her.

_Look._ Mewtwo, with a burst of psychic power, illuminated something carved carefully into the wood of an intact chair.

_Dear Peach,_

_I'm not really sure how to say this. It's been awhile since I've written anything that wasn't a challenge to Mario, so I'll keep this brief._

_We're leaving the Mansion. I'm sorry it has to be this way, I really am, but none of us have a choice. There's nothing left for us here. None of the Smashers like us, want us, or need us in the Mansion except you. I know that you'd try your hardest to make us feel at home here, but I think we both know that it wouldn't work. You can't save everyone, Peach, no matter how hard you try. Some of us are just beyond saving._

_This isn't goodbye, at least not goodbye for good. Whatever Ganondorf says, I still think of this as just a temporary vacation. I need some time before I'll be able to face you again after everything I've done, especially after everything that happened on Earth. I don't know how long that I'll be gone, but I do know that I'll be back._

_I've done a lot of horrible things in the name of keeping you safe, Peach, and yet you keep finding it within your heart to forgive me. I hope that I'll be a Koopa deserving of your forgiveness when we see each other again._

_Love,_

_Bowser_

Marth, standing in another corner of the destroyed cells, half-sighed, half-laughed. "They're gone," he said quietly.

_Smash-Holes,_

_Suck it, pricks!_

_-Wario_

* * *

_Oh man! Look at those cavemen go  
It's the freakiest show…_

* * *

Wario jogged through the countryside, determined to put as much distance between himself and the Smash Mansion as possible. His breath came in short pants, the holstered machine guns in his belt knocking against his legs as he ran. On and on he went, never stopping despite the rivers of sweat pouring down his face.

_Damn, I ain't used ta dis much runnin',_ Wario thought to himself, his face beet red. _I hope I can convince Ganondorf ta let us go somewhere nice and relaxin'._

Wario slowed down as he approached a large hill, breathing heavily as he made his way up its side. He grinned up at Bowser and Ganondorf, who were standing atop the hill and scowling down at him.

"Made it!" Wario declared cheerfully.

"Where have you been?" Ganondorf demanded, his arms folded. "I specifically instructed you to make your way out of the Mansion and proceed to this location _as quickly as possible._ Bowser and I arrived at this hill not half an hour ago!"

"I took a detour," said Wario offhandedly. "Picked somethin' up dat I thought we'd need."

"Really? What?" Bowser asked curiously.

Wario reached into his vest and pulled out a small rectangular object no bigger than his palm. The device was a dull red in color, having a large display screen and several rows of keys on the front with a wrist strap visible in the back.

"And this would be…?" Ganondorf questioned.

"Dis 'ere's a portable gate generator!" Wario said proudly. "I 'eard da Smashers mention it back in da warehouse, and I dought it could be a pretty useful thing ta 'ave around. After I got outta my cell, I snuck down inta Samus' lab an' swiped it. Now it's all ours!"

"Won't she notice that it's missing?" Bowser pointed out, his brow furrowing.

Wario waved away his concerns. "Nah, ya don't need ta worry 'bout dat. She forgot 'bout dis thing awhile ago. I had ta search through a pile o' old, dusty gizmos just ta find it! Hell, I mighta missed it altogether if I hadn't accidentally turned it on. Now _dat_ was embarrassin'."

"A portable dimensional gate, you say? Intriguing," Ganondorf mused. "And it works precisely the same as the original?"

Wario nodded. "Yep. Real friendly user interface, too. I spent de entire trip over 'ere readin' da built-in user's manual. I'm practically an expert in usin' it now!" He paused. "So…ya ready ta go?"

"Go where?" said Bowser.

Wario shrugged helplessly. "I dunno, we gotta go _somewhere_! Da Smashers could be on us any second now!"

"Wario, we don't need to go all the way to another universe just to shake off the Smashers!" Bowser protested. "Ganondorf, help me out here. You have to have some sort of plan for how we're going to get away."

"To be honest, Bowser, I had not planned quite this far ahead," Ganondorf admitted. "Upon review of our current situation, I am afraid that I must side with Wario on this matter. Using the portable gate device will allow us to disappear easily with no clear trail for the Smashers to follow. They will have no idea where to even begin looking."

"Well, alright then," Bowser said reluctantly. "I never really liked this planet to begin with."

"Great!" Wario beamed, attaching the device to his wrist and pulling two coin-sized disks out of his vest. "Put dese on da back o' yer necks."

"What are they?" asked Bowser, eyeing the disks suspiciously.

"Tracker chips," Wario explained. "Da gate only transports people who're wearin' 'em. I've got one too, see?" He turned around to show them a similar disk on his neck. "Dis way, da gate'll always teleport all three o' us at da same time, no matter how close we are. Cool, huh?"

Their doubts assuaged, Ganondorf and Bowser each took a disk and placed them firmly on their necks.

"Alright," said Wario, queuing up the main menu on the device. "Where we goin'?"

He looked expectantly at Ganondorf, Bowser doing the same a moment later.

Ganondorf stroked his chin, staring off into the distance and thinking hard. "Can the device be set to take us to a random location?" he questioned at last.

"Uh…" Wario glanced down. "Yeah, dere's a 'random' button 'ere. Why? Do ya really not care where we're gonna end up?"

"I believe it to be fitting," Ganondorf declared. "As fate has brought us together, we shall now let fate decide where we go next."

"Well, den," said Wario. "Random it is. At least, if no one has any objections…" He threw a pointed glance at Bowser.

"I'm okay with it," Bowser declared. "Anywhere but here is fine with me."

"It is decided," said Ganondorf assuredly. "Wario, take us to a new world."

"You got it!" Wario said giddily, punching the RANDOM button.

_BZAT!_

There was a flash of light, a roar of air, and the three of them disappeared.

* * *

_Take a look at the lawman  
Beating up the wrong guy  
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know  
He's in the best selling show…_

* * *

Pushing the door open, Mayberry walked into his apartment, drowsily rubbing at his eyes. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of activity for him, with military officers, NSA members, and reporters alike relentlessly grilling him about his experiences inside the gate. Numb with fatigue and lack of sleep, Mayberry barely managed to cobble together enough plausible lies and half-truths for his interrogators to be satisfied and let him go. With the Smashers case officially closed, all Mayberry wanted to do was stagger back home and take the longest nap of his life. Sheer willpower was all that allowed him to attend Jessica's funeral without passing out in the middle of the aisle. Though his body had been crying out for rest, it had been worth it just to see Alicia and Jeremy one last time. Lord knew those two needed closure.

Shrugging off his jacket and removing his tie, Mayberry let himself fall into his easy chair with a sharp exhale of breath. Glancing about the room, he noticed the red light on his answering machine blinking. Mayberry promptly leaned over and hit the playback button, settling back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling.

_BEEP._

"_You have …four…unread…messages."_

Only half listening to the droning voice of his answering machine, Mayberry slumped down in his seat and closed his eyes.

"_Hey, Sam, it's Zeke. How've you been? I've got a free moment here, so I was wondering if you'd like to stop by the Pulsar and have a beer. We haven't really had a chance to talk since…well, you know. Call me back, man."_

_BEEP._

"_Mr. Mayberry, this is Olivia Dunham of the FBI. We have some questions regarding the statements you made to General Abrams two weeks ago and we'd like to arrange a meeting with you…"_

Grimacing at the thought of yet another round of questioning, Mayberry swung his arm over and angrily thumbed the skip button.

_BEEP._

"_Hello, my name is Bobby Grayson. A friend of mine has gone missing. He hasn't been seen at work or at his home for a couple days now. If you're willing to take the case, I can pay half your fee up front. Call back if you're interested."_

_BEEP._

_"Mr. Samuel Mayberry, this is a message from the California Department of Child Care Services." _

Mayberry opened his eyes, turning to look at the answering machine with equal parts interest and trepidation.

"_Upon our yearly review of your daughter's file, we have determined that the responsibilities of your position made it impossible for you to petition the court for custody within the time allowed to you. Taking this into account, we have opted to give you another opportunity to reclaim custody of your daughter now that you are currently unassigned. If you still wish to obtain custody rights, please contact Elaine Kimball at our office."_

_BEEP._

"_No…new…messages."_

Mayberry was staring at his phone like it had just exploded, his heartbeat thumping in his ears. _Naomi_, he thought dizzily. _Naomi. I can see her again. I can hold her again. I can have her back. Naomi. My little girl. God, it's been so long-!_

He leaned back in his chair, his mind awhirl with new possibilities. Looking back up at his ceiling, Sam Mayberry smiled, the first genuine smile he had made in months.

_Naomi,_ he thought. _I'm going to see her again. Naomi._

He didn't feel tired any more.

* * *

_But the film is a saddening bore  
'Cos I wrote it ten times or more  
It's about to be writ again…_

* * *

Roy clapped Marth's shoulder. "They got away. You couldn't've caught them, don't stress out about it."

Marth shrugged. "We should have known that they would be able to get out of their cells, though. That way we could have reinforced the rooms with something, made it too hard for them to get out... now they can come back anytime they want."

Roy grinned. "Well, it's just another adventure, right?"

"Adventures get people hurt and killed, Roy. You know that, don't you?"

Roy put his hand on Marth's shoulder. "But it seems a bit like they're our fate. After all, when you've got a coliseum full of heroes and villains, what else are you going to find but adventure?"

Marth sighed and put his head in his hands. "Seems like it's so."

"We'll be ready." Roy smiled at his friend. "We've got warriors and magicians and planners and strategists and no one's to be reckoned with in a fight. At least we'll be ready for it."

* * *

_As I ask you to focus on  
Sailors fighting in the dance hall  
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go  
it's the freakiest show  
Take a look at the lawman  
beating up the wrong guy  
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know  
He's in the best selling show…_

* * *

_…Is there life on Mars?"_

-David Bowie

* * *

U92: Yes, yes, it's a songfic, I know, but I thought it worked here. It was kinda funny just how much of _Life On Mars_ matched up with what I had planned for this chapter.

How many poorly disguised pilots for possible spinoff stories can _you_ find in this chapter?

I wracked my brain trying to think what Wario would say in his message on the cell wall – then I realized that my Wario _hates_ writing and would probably just throw off an insult or two. And so, that bit was born.

The portable gate device, mentioned briefly in Chapter 19 and Chapter 21, finally comes into use here. And yes, this is the _only_ reason we introduced that plot point.

I wanted to give Mayberry a happy ending with his wife and daughter, but it seemed too contrived compared to the semi-realistic tone of the rest of his story arc. His scene here is my compromise. Does it seem like it works?

Has Mayberry really smiled at all during this story? I'm pretty sure he hasn't.

The story may be over, but we've got a few more surprises left in store! Stick around for the epilogue!

Sue2: Well, there you go. I don't know why I keep writing these things - it's Ultiman who has all the awesome reflections and insights. So, yeah. Hope you enjoyed yourselves, see you next time if I'm still around.  
Also. NaNo. Freaking. WriMo. *totally wigs out*

REVIEW!


	25. Epilogue

U92: Time to tie up those last few loose ends! It's epilogue time!

Sue2: And here's the real wrap-up of this story. Gods, it's taken a while. And it's been mostly my fault, too. I apologize for my procrastination, and hope my and Ultiman's construction has brought you some amount of joy.

On with the fic!

* * *

-Epilogue-

* * *

There was a light, hesitant knock on the door.

"Come in," Devlin called out, looking up from his desk and putting away the papers he was filing.

The door swung open, a man in a suit stepping into the room. Everything about him screamed authority figure, his meticulously clean outfit and carefully neutral expression providing some credence to the badge hanging off his front pocket. The man strode forward, quickly scanning the office before coming to a halt on the room's sole occupant. "Dr. Devlin?"

Devlin rose from his seat, attempting to discreetly straighten his lab coat to look more professional. "Yes, that's me."

"My name is Orson Scott. I'm the head of R&D here at the Asimov Center," the man explained. "If you don't mind, I'd like a tour of your lab. We're doing a little checkup on your current projects."

"Of course! Absolutely!" Devlin said enthusiastically, moving to exit the office. "Right this way, please."

The two men departed the room and proceeded down the hall, Devlin taking the lead.

"I'd like to thank you for allowing us to make these inspections," Scott said conversationally. "We don't often have someone like you joining our staff. Given the reasons for your, shall we say, unexpected departure from the Petrelli Institute, we feel the need to keep a closer eye on your work just to be on the safe side. You understand, of course."

Devlin nodded humbly. "I'm just grateful that I was able to get a position here after that nasty business with those terrorists. I must confess, I haven't been quite myself since I, ah…_left_ the Institute. I hope I can convince you I am past all of that."

"We wish the same, Dr. Devlin," Scott replied. "Now, what would you like to show me first?"

Devlin's smile widened. "In here, please," he said, motioning to a room on the side of the hall. Scott followed him inside.

A stark white room greeted them, filled with tables and chairs arranged haphazardly around each other. Almost every square inch of the tables was covered in pieces of plastic and metal, tools, and design plans. The Super Scope Seven lay on the center table, partially disassembled.

"Now here is one of my favorite projects," Devlin said excitedly, hurrying over to the center table and tenderly lifting up the SS7. "This is one of the weapons that the terrorists used in their attack on the city," he explained. "I managed to secure one of them during the attack, and I've been working on improving it for possible military application. So far, I've slimmed down the design and have greatly reduced the recoil when firing, but I still haven't been able to create a workable long-term energy source. At present, the weapon can only be used for two minutes before it needs to be reloaded." He flashed an apologetic smile. "I hope to focus my attentions on this problem in the coming weeks."

"Hm. Interesting." Scott looked around the room, surveying the claustrophobic layout. "Does all of your work take place in areas like these?"

"Oh my, no," Devlin replied, shaking his head and carefully putting down the SS7. "The main lab is where all the real work gets done. Shall I take you there?"

"If you would, please," said Scott.

Devlin led him to the end of the corridor and down two flights of stairs before pausing at a door with a keypad. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't talk to anyone in there, Mr. Scott," he said quietly. "My team isn't very sociable even at the best of times."

"Your team?" Scott repeated, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Dr. Devlin, we were under the impression that you were working alone. No one's been seen coming in or out of your lab."

Devlin smiled. "Well, my team is a little…unorthodox. I can guarantee that you'll be surprised by their dedication to their work."

He punched in a long series of digits on the keypad, waiting until the light flashed green before pulling open the door and ushering the other man inside.

The change in atmosphere couldn't be more different. Where the outside halls were quiet enough to seem almost abandoned, the inside lab was abuzz with activity. The surprisingly spacious room was packed with a large group of blank-faced teenagers in black bodysuits, slowly and methodically working on various projects. In one corner, a large section of the teens was clustered around what looked like a partially finished airplane engine. In another, several little clusters of workers were molding metal into gauntlets, boots, and various other pieces of armor, working off of a schematic for a complete armored suit propped up beside them. Tucked off to one side were several rows of sleeping pods, each of which contained an unconscious teen. Directly in front of the two men were a group of workers building something that currently resembled half of a large steel egg, made of several dozen components and yet still unfinished. The remaining teens were moving about the room, transporting supplies from one place to the next. Replicas of the Super Scope Seven were being put to a variety of uses throughout the room, including welding, forging, and even engraving.

Scott was lost for words. "Dr. Devlin, this…this is…"

"Quite awe-inspiring, isn't it?" Devlin commented, looking out over the lab fondly. "Such devoted and hardworking little things."

That statement snapped Scott out of his amazement. "Devlin!" he cried out, pointing an accusing finger at the workers. _"How old are they?"_

Devlin put up a hand, the smile never leaving his face. "Now, now, Mr. Scott, let's not jump to conclusions-"

"_Jump to conclusions!_" Scott repeated incredulously, growing more incensed by the second. "Some of them don't look any older than fourteen! You are aware of California's child labor laws, aren't you?"

"They're not children," Devlin said patiently.

"What do you mean, they're not children? If you're seriously expecting me to believe that all of them are at least eighteen-" Scott began heatedly.

"They're not children," Devlin repeated. "I'll prove it to you." He looked out into the mass of workers. "Beta Six, come here please!"

A petite girl with short red hair immediately stopped working and headed over to his side.

"They don't even have real names?" Scott protested.

Devlin waved away his concerns, turning back to the expressionless teen. The girl stood stiffly at attention, patiently awaiting further orders.

"Show Mr. Scott your ear," Devlin instructed, smiling benignly at her.

The worker shifted to one side, pushing her hair back to give Scott an unrestricted view of her ear. Her ear canal was completely filled up with a solid white plastic material, with the distinctive shape of a USB port melded into the plastic.

"Now do you understand?" Devlin said triumphantly. "They're not children because they aren't human. They're artificial beings, created right here in this lab."

"Jesus Christ," Scott breathed. He looked wildly at the rest of the workers. "They're all like this? They're all artificial?" His head jerked from the teens to Devlin and back again. "How in the world did you do something like this?" he asked hoarsely.

"Simple, really," Devlin said airily, pulling at the lapels of his coat with pride. "It came to me during one of my rough spots of the past few weeks. You see, the main problem with any great advance in technology is the sheer volume of supplies needed to make it happen. If the cost didn't wipe you out, whatever you built would be too big and awkward to be of any real practical use, at least at first. But if you use synthetic materials, you get components that can function as steel, metal, plastic, and even human tissue, with over less than half the weight and price. An entire world of possibilities is opened to you! You can make artificial humans, advanced transport systems, weapons…I honestly don't know why no one has ever taken advantage of this before!"

Scott shook his head. "You made all of this – these workers, those machines, everything – in just a few weeks with some synthetic parts?"

"Well, _technically_ I only built the first three workers," Devlin clarified. "Once I managed to install the base templates for their minds and get them operational, they began making more of themselves on their own. Currently the rate is set at four workers produced per day." He patted Beta Six on the head. "I absolutely adore having them around. They're the perfect workforce: no disobedience, no complaints, no desire to do anything but work, and they only need four hours a day to recharge their systems."

Scott was beside himself with disbelief. "Dr. Devlin, this is incredible!" he exclaimed. "What you're doing here will _revolutionize_ science and industry! You could get a Nobel Prize for this! Oh, the board will be very happy to hear about this, I can tell you that!"

The smile dropped off of Devlin's face. "Ah. You're planning on telling the board about this, then?"

"Yes," Scott answered confusedly. "What's the matter? I thought you'd be dying to tell the world about your accomplishments here."

"Not quite, Mr. Scott. I'm afraid I'm not ready for anyone to learn what I have here just yet," Devlin said sadly, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm sorry, but the board has to know about this," Scott said consolingly. "This isn't exactly something I can keep from them."

"Yes, I was afraid you might say that," Devlin said resignedly. "Beta Six, initiate Plan Four."

The previously unresponsive teen suddenly sprang to attention, quickly pulling a hypodermic needle from a pouch in her bodysuit and uncapping it. Springing forward, she stuck the needle into the side of Scott's neck, injecting him with a milky white fluid. Scott winced in pain, slowly listing to one side and slumping against the wall. As the strength swiftly left his body, he slid down the wall and sprawled in a heap on the floor.

All of this happened in less than ten seconds.

Devlin calmly walked over to the prone form of Scott, bending down and carefully extracting the needle from Scott's neck. "Listen to me carefully, Mr. Scott," he enunciated clearly. "You have just been dosed with a chemical solution of my creation, designed to induce short-term memory loss and leave you in a highly suggestive state. You should become open to suggestion in a matter of seconds."

Scott's eyes unfocused and rolled back in his head, coming back to stare at Devlin through drooping lids.

"There we are," Devlin said happily. "Now, you have just accompanied me to my lab and I've shown you a few machines that I've been working on. They all seemed marginally interesting to you, but have little practical application. You felt very tired during the tour, so I decided to let you take a nap on a cot outside my lab, where you will wake up shortly. You will go to the board and tell them that I am keeping myself busy, all of my work is harmless, and that I should be left alone. Do you understand me, Mr. Scott?"

Scott made a sluggish, guttural sound, his eyes fluttering shut and opening again.

"Good," Devlin smiled. "Sleep now, Mr. Scott. Sleep."

Scott made another sound, closing his eyes and letting his head hit the floor.

Devlin stood back up, staring down at the disheveled figure with a mixture of pity and regret. "I am very sorry I had to do this to you," he said, directly addressing the unconscious man on the floor. "I had no choice. I cannot allow anyone to find out what I am doing here before my work is complete. I will have my revenge, and no one will take it from me."

He grinned, his eyes flashing. "In time, the Smashers will feel the full wrath of Dr. Dean Devlin and his Operators."

Devlin glanced back at Beta Six, having momentarily forgotten that she was standing there. He held out the empty needle. "Go dispose of this, and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward. Then take this man and put him on the cot outside. Once you are done, return to your work."

Beta Six gave a tiny nod of acknowledgement, her face expressionless.

Satisfied, Devlin headed out the door, securely locking the lab behind him. He hurried back to his office, humming a pleasant tune under his breath.

Today was going to be a very good day.

* * *

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Abraxas' step was no longer calm and measured. Indeed, it was about as fast as a person could walk without calling it running. He was doing a very bad job of concealing his impatience, his burning curiosity overriding his need to maintain his composure at all times.

Orange-red stripe and Beige-stripe were both awake at their posts this time, and let him inside the room without a word. Abraxas noticed Orange-red stripe turn his helmeted head in his direction as he blew past him, an unvoiced question clearly on his mind. He paid Orange-red stripe's curiosity into his behavior no heed; he had more important things to think about at the moment.

He stepped into the gate room, turning on the lights and heading over to the console on the side of the generator, typing in the startup code. As the gate warmed up, he glanced over at the other side of the room, where a beige trenchcoat and a pair of sunglasses were hanging on a rack.

_Farewell, Mr. A,_ he thought nostalgically. _You have served me well, but if everything has gone as planned, I will be able to dispense with disguises and move more openly from this point forwards._

With a click, the ramp finished descending. His heels clicking against the floor, Abraxas walked up the ramp and gazed into the gate's depths once again.

"Computer," he commanded, "show me the Master World."

"_Acknowledged,"_ the feminine voice from the speaker intoned.

A dark bubble floated into view, the images inside gradually filling up the entire sphere. The world was dark and empty, the flat, dark terrain completely devoid of life.

Abraxas frowned. "Focus in on any bio-signs."

The image inside the bubble gradually traveled up and up until it reached the atmosphere, zooming in on a singular platform hanging in the air. Atop this platform were the Hands, writhing and straining against the golden chains binding them to the platform.

Abraxas stared at the sight before him, not moving for several minutes. Slowly but surely, he began to laugh, several days' worth of anxiety and impatience rushing out of him. An overwhelming sense of relief filled him, and he laughed until he thought his lungs would burst.

_Exactly as planned, exactly as planned!_ Abraxas thought wildly, the last of his laughter subsiding and leaving him with a satisfied grin on his face. _This could not have worked out any more perfectly if I had been giving the Smashers orders myself!_

"Mastermind, you poor, simple fool," Abraxas said aloud, shaking his head. "If there is one thing I have learned in my entire life, it is that one should never underestimate the tenacity of heroes.

"Your children have been most helpful, though I must give some of the credit to the resourceful Mr. Mayberry," he said with a nod towards the rack with the trenchcoat and sunglasses. "Thanks to them, you are once again no longer a threat and we are ready to enter the next stage of our plans. Once we eliminate the last of our enemies, we will be able to move forward and create our _own_ utopia, without the oppression and violence that would have plagued yours. It will be glorious.

"Of course, the Smashers will probably have to die," Abraxas said regretfully. "They will no doubt attempt to protect those who we have marked for death, and we might have to forcibly remove them from the equation to ensure our success. Such a shame. They could be quite useful fighting for us instead of against us, but I fear our methods will seem too extreme for them. Typical idealists. Always afraid to take the measures necessary to complete the tasks they leave unfinished. When the time comes, they will know the error of their ways.

"Of course, we will not attack them right away. We are not heartless enough to deprive them of their homecoming celebration; only a complete monster would dare to do so. Besides, after what has just happened to them, they are most likely on their guard. We will give them enough time to relax, letting them believe that the worst is behind them, before making our move. A year seems about right. Then, when they are least expecting it, we shall strike, systematically eliminating our enemies before the Smashers can even lift a finger to defend them. Then and only then will Arcana Mejis be victorious."

He turned and headed back down the ramp, making his way towards the door. Abraxas stopped just as he was about to flick the switch and power down the room, looking back at the image of the struggling Hands in the gate.

"You said that the next time we spoke would be under vastly different circumstances," he said, smirking. "It appears that you were right."

Laughing, Abraxas flicked off the switch, turning off the gate and plunging the room into darkness. Pressing the button to open the door, he strode out into the hall, the door shutting behind him with a steel clang.

The room was silent once more.

* * *

"Do I dare disturb the universe?"

-T. S. Eliot

* * *

"**I dare."**

-Abraxas Elohim

* * *

U92: Fun fact: I actually had this chapter written for several months before actually posting it. Devlin and Abraxas are my favorite characters to write next to the villains, and I just couldn't wait to play with them some more.

You thought I'd forgotten about Devlin? Not so! I always have a cunning plan when it comes to my characters!

The bit with Devlin here is basically one long piece of foreshadowing for events to come in the Smash Mind universe. Admit, you never really considered him to be a serious threat up until now, did you? Once he actually goes to the trouble of _hiding_ his insanity, he gets unpredictable.

Like the portable gate last chapter, every appearance of Devlin in this story has been building up to this bit here. Anyone notice the signs?

The ironic thing is, I don't actually _know_ what California's child labor laws are. (sweatdrop) I _think_ I got it right, at least if my research is correct.

Yes, I am aware I got the science concerning synthetics completely wrong. I am hoping that calling Smash Mind "soft sci-fi" is enough to allow me to play fast and loose with scientific principles.

For those of you wondering how Devlin's Operators can hear with their ear canals filled up with plastic, well…let's just say Devlin made it so they don't hear through their _normal_ ear holes and leave it at that.

The names "Orson Scott" and "Asimov Institute" are references to two of my favorite science fiction authors, Orson Scott Card and Isaac Asimov. As to why I subjected "Orson Scott" to drugging and manipulation at Devlin's hands, well…let's just call it payback for _Empire_. Keep your political aesops _out_ of your fiction, damnit! (Speaking of which, is anyone who's read this whole story able to tell what _my_ political beliefs are? I'm just wondering if my views show in my work.)

It's funny; the mere act of giving Beta Six short red hair has fixed her appearance in my mind as a very young Mila Jovovich. Writing is strange like that.

And so, we come full circle back to Abraxas as our story comes to an end. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers, reviewers, subscribers, and everyone else who helped make this story a blast to write. Special thanks have to go to Sueslayer2 for being an excellent co-author and doing a fantastic job on this story. I hope to see all of you again on future Smash Mind stories. I'm not sure that I'll continue this so soon; college is a pretty big part of my life right now. I guess we'll just have to see.

Until next time, Ultiman out.

Sue2: Wow. Um. It's over, the credits have rolled and the story is finito. But, like Roy said in the last chapter, it'll keep happening 'cause they can't keep outta trouble.  
Bye, all! You'll enjoy what's coming next, I think.

* * *

-THE END-


End file.
